


Every Part of Me

by astrogirl91



Category: Chris Evans (actor) - Fandom
Genre: Actor Chris Evans, Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst with a Happy Ending, Anxious Chris Evans, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Love, POV Third Person, Romance, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-18
Updated: 2020-09-18
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:35:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 26,591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26402005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astrogirl91/pseuds/astrogirl91
Summary: Part eight of an ongoing romance series about Chris Evans and Dodger's groomer, Brianna Walsh (OFC). Sequel to Ignite. Contains explicit sexual content and some drug use.
Relationships: Chris Evans (Actor)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	Every Part of Me

**Author's Note:**

> Unfortunately this is going to be the last part for a little while. The next one is in progress, but I like to call myself the George R. R. Martin of fan fic because it takes me so damn long to write anything! I started writing in January 2019, so everything that I've posted on AO3 so far was written over the course of 2019 and most of this year. Each part took me at least a couple of months to write, because I tend to write out of order and work on multiple different ones at the same time so I get distracted, and also because sometimes I just suffer from writer's block. The next part is coming, it just won't be right away, so please be patient with me! I hope you enjoy reading this one - it's the longest fic I've written so far, but contains plenty of smut and kinkiness. ;)

“Cut!” Chris called out with a sigh. “Sweetie, you're just supposed to walk across the lobby to the elevator. You can't look at the camera.”

Brianna felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment. “I'm sorry, it's just so distracting! A huge lens is pointing right at me, how am I not supposed to look into it?”

He ran his hands through his hair, then stroked his clean-shaven face – a habit which stemmed from expecting his beard to be there as a calming security blanket. “Okay, you know what, let's just wrap up. We have to be out of here soon anyway, we can finish getting this shot tonight.”

She sighed as she walked over to Chris, getting out of the way of the crew starting to break down the set. “I'm sorry, I suck at being an extra.”

Chris smiled at her reassuringly. “It's okay, babe. You're a newbie.”

“ _And_ it's way too early to think straight,” she grumbled.

“Hey, you're not the one who's been here since nine last night!” He grinned, still in a surprisingly good mood after nearly two weeks straight of night shoots for Lobby Hero – which included several nights of falling behind schedule. The Manhattan apartment building they were granted for shooting on location only allowed them to film from late at night until the wee hours of the morning, but the owner of the building was prone to forbidding them from filming if they suspected it would cause any inconvenience for the aristocratic residents.

It was five in the morning, and Brianna had been called to the set at four o'clock to shoot her big screen debut as a silent background extra in an establishing shot. “Alright, fair enough. At least I don't have to worry about reciting lines _and_ trying to direct everything else too. You're so talented, babe.” She gave him a gentle kiss.

He smiled bashfully. “I'm not going to stand here and take this abuse from you.”

Brianna grinned and kissed him again. “Well, since I'm already up, I think I'm gonna get some coffee and walk around the park for a while. I really want to see Belvedere Castle. Do you want to come with me after you're done here?”

“I'd love to, but I'm absolutely whupped. I think I slept for ninety minutes yesterday before coming back here again last night. I forgot how much these graveyard shoots suck, even for us night owls.” Chris sighed. “You go without me. I'm sorry for being such a lousy tour guide on your first trip to New York.”

She smiled reassuringly. “It's okay, you know I don't mind doing things on my own. You getting some decent sleep and finishing this film are _way_ more important than letting me drag you all over this concrete jungle for my amusement.” Brianna grinned. “But we _are_ gonna go on the Central Park carousel together before I leave.”

Chris chuckled. “Alright, deal.” He wrapped his arms around her, then sighed. “I'm not looking forward to you going home this weekend. I've hated being here all month without you and Dodger, and I already hate that I'm gonna have to be here alone again next week.”

Brianna held his face and stroked the smooth bare skin of his jawline. “I know, I hate it too. I'm glad it'll be over next weekend and you can finally come home. I can't wait until you do, because sleeping alone really sucks now.”

“It does, but at least you still have Dodger.”

“Yeah, but he's been grumpy without you. He misses you as much as I do.” She giggled. “I'm sure he's extra pissed off that he got dumped on Shanna this week while I get to take a mini vacation here. I might need to beg his forgiveness with some strawberry ice cream.”

Chris chuckled, then looked around at the film crew breaking down the set. “Alright, I need to help these guys finish packing up all this shit, then I'm going back to the hotel and hopefully passing out right away...but don't hesitate to wake me up whenever you get back.” He smirked and subtly pressed his groin into hers.

Brianna grinned. “Nope, you need to sleep.” She kissed his cheek, then whispered in his ear: “I can just take care of myself in the shower. I'll make myself cum thinking about your tongue licking up my dripping wet pussy.”

He groaned quietly and smirked at her. “Okay, get the hell out of here, witch.”

She giggled, then walked away to collect her purse and thank the film crew for being so patient with her – as well as the hair and makeup artist who had fixed her up even for just a three second shot. Brianna felt so dolled up for the day, she couldn't help but walk with an air of confidence as she made her way down the Midtown Manhattan sidewalk. It was a foreign feeling for her to be wearing more than just moisturizer on her face and being dressed in something other than sweatpants.

Even though her costume for her debut as an extra was just a pair of skinny jeans, ankle boots, and a loosely fitted collared shirt with the sleeves rolled up – yet another piece of Chris' wardrobe she had helped herself to – she still felt as if she looked like a millionaire's trophy wife. _Well...I guess I kinda am, in a way..._ She thought as she smiled to herself.

The sun rose so quickly it had illuminated the entire city by the time Brianna finished her mile-long stroll to a coffee shop across the way from Central Park. She walked into the cafe, already jam-packed with everyone from Wall Street brokers to Met Opera ballerinas, all scrambling to get a hit of caffeine on their rushed early morning commute.

“Sorry...sorry...” Brianna meekly repeated in the crowd, as if she was in everyone's way even though they were the ones bumping into her. She finally made it to the front of the line and ordered her iced latte – then mere seconds after she collected her drink and started to make her way out of the shop, a tall rock solid figure suddenly slammed into her. She caught her footing in time and narrowly avoided falling backwards, but half of the freezing cold coffee spilled onto her shirt before the cup dropped out of her hand and finished emptying itself onto the floor.

“Oh my God, I'm so sorry!”

Brianna sighed in aggravation as she knelt down to pick up her cup. “It's okay,” she muttered.

“Here, let me get that for you.”

“No, I got it.” She reached for the cup, and in that same instant a large masculine hand covered hers. Brianna looked up and was met by a pair of stunning amber eyes. The strange man flashed a bashful yet charming smile at her. She pulled her hand away and let him grab the cup for her, then he mopped up the spilled coffee with a bundle of napkins he grabbed from the counter.

“I am _so_ sorry. I wasn't even watching where I was going, I'm such a klutz sometimes. This is totally my fault.” He handed several napkins to her.

“It's alright...at least blue plaid hides stains,” she mumbled with a sigh as she attempted to clean up her shirt with the napkins. Realizing it was a futile effort, she unbuttoned the stained shirt and tied it around her waist, stripping down to the camisole she wore underneath it.

As they both stood up, Brianna looked up and couldn't help but swoon internally at the man before her. He was a solid six foot five inches, suntanned, and all muscle – even bulkier than Chris had been at his peak – with biceps so large the seams of his tight tee were hanging on for dear life. He tossed the cup and napkins into a trash bin, then ran his hand through his thick hair – a brown so dark it was nearly black, as was the beard on his face.

“Let me buy you another one,” he said. “What were you drinking?”

“Oh, uh...um...” She shook herself out of her googly-eyed gaze at him. “Just an iced vanilla latte.”

“Got it!” He rushed back to the counter – the crowd of people practically stepped aside for him – and came back a few minutes later with an iced tea for himself and a fresh latte for her.

“Thank you,” Brianna said with a smile. “That's really nice of you.”

“It's the least I can do to apologize! I'm Alex, by the way.” He held out his large hand, and she gave him hers, which he squeezed in a firm manly handshake.

“I'm Brianna,” she said quietly, still taken aback by his height and chiseled jawline.

“I'm sorry again. I don't mean to be a bull in a china shop, it just happens sometimes.”

Brianna laughed quietly. “Well, I mean, you _do_ look like one. You must work out eight hours a day.”

Alex chuckled. “Nope, only two hours! I actually just got done with my morning run and had to grab some chai tea before I head to my shoot. I'm totally addicted to this stuff.” He held the door open for her as they made their way outside.

“You're going to a shoot today? Like, a film set?”

“Oh, I'm not an actor, just a model! I have a photo shoot in a few hours for a new line coming out this fall.”

“That's...not surprising,” Brianna said as she quickly looked him up and down. _Jesus, this guy must be L. L. Bean's wet dream..._

“Huh?”

“Uh, I mean, I'm not surprised you're a model. You just, ya know...you look like one.”

“Aw, are you saying I'm hot?” He grinned at her.

She blushed. “Kinda.”

“Well, thanks! You're not bad-looking yourself. Honestly, you could be a model too if you grew about eight inches taller. How tall are you anyway? Five foot nothing?” Alex grinned at her again.

Brianna laughed. “Five foot _one_ , thank you very much.”

“Nothing wrong with that, I'm just teasing! Sometimes I wish I wasn't so tall. It gets annoying always having people ask me how the weather is up here.” He rolled his eyes. “So do you live here in New York?”

“No, I don't. I live in Massachusetts.”

“Shut up! So do I.”

“You do? Where at?”

“Cambridge. You?”

“Concord.”

“Awesome! It's beautiful out there. I wish I had more time to visit Walden, but work keeps me so busy I'm gone practically every other month.” He looked at her perplexed for a moment. “Are you from there originally? You don't have any of the usual accents I've heard around Boston.”

“Thank God. I've been worried I would eventually pick one up and I don't think it would fit me! No, I'm not from there. I was born and raised in California.”

Alex laughed. “Same here. Laguna Beach – you?”

“Sacramento by way of San Francisco. What's a SoCal guy like you doing way out in Massachusetts?”

“Because California sucks, dude.”

Brianna laughed. “Yeah, it hella fucking sucks there.”

“Hella? You're definitely from NorCal.” He grinned. “This is gnarly, I can't believe I finally found another West Coaster! I've been out here for years and thought I would have come across at least _one_ before now.”

“Same, you're the first one I've met on this coast in years. I guess we're a rare breed in Massachusetts.”

“We are, but it's so much nicer out in New England. I love how quiet it is! I lived in LA for a while when I started modeling, but I grew to hate it. God, I'm so glad I don't live there anymore.”

“That's how my fiance feels. He's originally from Boston, but he lived in LA for over a decade and couldn't stand it.”

“So what's a NorCal girl turned Small Town New England girl doing in the Big Apple?”

“I'm actually here filming a movie.”

“You're an actress? That's cool!”

“Oh, no, I'm not. I'm just an extra in this one. My fiance is...uh, he's a director.”

“Oooh, awesome! Big name auteur I've heard of before?”

Brianna laughed nervously, not wanting to reveal the truth of her betrothed to a stranger. “No, he's...uh, he's an up and coming director. He's only done one other indie movie – really small thing, didn't have a wide release. Great movie, but nobody saw it.”

“So he's a director, but you're not an actress. What do you do for work then? Are you his sugar baby?”

She looked down as she laughed, trying to hide her blushing face. “No, not exactly. I mean, he supports me financially right now, but I'm trying to become a writer. Before that, I was just a dog groomer.”

“Okay, are we in the Twilight Zone? How the hell do we have so much in common already? I used to be a groomer too!”

“Are you fucking serious?” Brianna stared at him in surprise.

“Yes! My modeling career was struggling for a little while in my twenties, so I had to do _something_ to keep a roof over my head. My family used to be big in the dog show circuit and we always had Poodles when I was growing up, so I put to work the only thing I knew how to do – other than being really, really ridiculously good-looking.” He grinned.

She laughed. “So what was your most despised breed to work on?”

“Shih Tzus. I never met one I didn't hate! You?”

“Those God damn fucking Doodles – _any_ of them.”

He groaned in annoyance. “Yes, they're the fucking worst! Especially the Aussiedoodles. Why the hell do people keep breeding them? Way to go trashing any decent Poodle bloodline with those Frankenstein's monsters.”

“I totally agree. I've got nothing against mutts, they're my favorite, but enough with the backyard breeder bullshit already.”

Alex checked the time on his watch. “Hey, I've got a lot of time before I need to head out! You want to sit for a while and keep this convo going?” He gestured to the gradually emptying tables out on the cafe's patio.

“I was actually going to walk around the park. This is my first time visiting New York City, so I want to see as much of it as I can before I leave.” She paused and thought for a moment if it would be inappropriate for an engaged woman to go on a morning stroll with an incredibly handsome strange man. _No, it's fine...men and women can be just friends. Yeah, he's really cute, but so what? He's still not as hot as Chris..._ Brianna thought. “But you're welcome to come with me!”

“Yeah, I'm down! Let's go.”

They crossed the street to Central Park and spent the next few hours wandering around as they sipped their iced drinks, enjoying the sunny springtime air of May while talking about one subject after another and discovering how much they had in common. Brianna found herself gazing at him more than once, but her stares didn't last long. Her mind kept branching off to Chris: worrying if he was getting enough sleep that day, what she should make him for dinner that evening before they headed back to the set, her excitement for how imposingly masculine he would look in his policeman's uniform – and how much she would have to control herself to not tear it off him the second filming wrapped for the night.

“Perfect! I took like, twenty,” Alex said as he passed Brianna's phone back to her. She had asked if he would snap some photos of her in front of Belvedere Castle to show Chris later.

“Thanks! My fiance doesn't understand that when I ask him to take a picture of me, I don't want just _a_ picture. I need more than one.”

“Right?! I hate it when people do that. Come on, no photo shoot _ever_ consists of only one shot.” He checked the time on his phone. “Speaking of photo shoots, I have to get going now or I'll be late for mine. It was so great hanging out with you, though!”

“Yeah, I had a lot of fun!”

“So...how long are you in town for?” He asked shyly.

“Until Sunday night.”

“Great! I'm here for another couple weeks before I'm off to Alaska.”

“Oh? Another modeling gig there?”

“No, I actually only model part-time, technically. I have another gig a couple times a month as a bush pilot flying all over the Subarctic.”

“Oh, wow! That's pretty badass.”

“Maybe some day I'll take you for a spin in the old plane.” He grinned. “Anyway, do you want to do something again before you leave town? Maybe have dinner with me?”

Brianna blushed. “Um...well, like I mentioned before, I'm engaged but just not wearing my ring at the moment...”

Alex laughed, blushing slightly as well. “Oh, no, I'm not interested in you like that! I don't mean having dinner together like a _date._ I'm sorry if I gave you that impression, but I'm not trying to make a move on you. I mean, no offense, but you're...not my type.”

She understood where he was coming from; any attraction she had to him was immediately squashed, and she laughed in embarrassment at her own narcissism. _Jeez, Bree, cool it...just because the hottest guy on the planet is madly in love with you doesn't mean every other hot guy is automatically interested too. Sure I'm pretty, but I'm still not much of an oil painting...oh, I forgot I'm not supposed to say anything mean about myself, or else Chris will spank me...actually, that sounds nice right now._

“Alright, I get you. Sure! I'll give you my number and we can meet up again. I'm done filming my tiny bit part after tonight, so I'll be free any time tomorrow.”

“I have a meeting with my agency tomorrow morning, but otherwise I'm free too.” Alex recited his phone number to her as she typed it in and sent him hers via text message. “Got it. I'll text you later to figure out what we should do,” he said as he checked his phone, then wrapped her in a tight hug, nearly crushing her chest with his enormous arms. “I'll see you tomorrow, hun.”

“Yep, see ya then,” Brianna said when she finally had some air back in her lungs. She couldn't help but grin as they walked off in opposite directions through the park and she hailed a cab back to the hotel. _Wow, holy shit, I actually made a friend! I can't wait to tell Chris later. He's gonna be so happy for me..._

***

Brianna walked through the foyer of the luxurious Upper East Side hotel and had a quick bite for lunch at the equally luxurious restaurant – struggling to find something she would actually enjoy on the menu of fancy cuisine, and being reminded again of how completely out of place she felt within the lifestyle of the rich and famous.

 _God, I'm so glad we live in Massachusetts. I could never live in this city or LA if this is the hoity-toity shit I'd have to eat all the time..._ She sighed and finally settled on the millionaire's equivalent of a club sandwich – minus the bizarre white truffle oil sauce and arugula – then headed up to the penthouse suite where Chris had been living that month.

She quietly unlocked the front door and made her way into the darkened bedroom. The blackout curtains were drawn closed and Chris was fast asleep in bed. He was laying comfortably on his stomach with one leg bent up, holding a pillow tightly. The sheets covered only his legs, stopping just below his ass and leaving it bare; she smirked and couldn't help but think he had done that on purpose before falling asleep, just to tease her when she returned.

Brianna crept into the en suite bathroom, stripped off her clothes, and washed herself clean in the hot rainfall shower. When she finished rinsing her hair and body of all the soapy suds, she moved her hand down to her groin. The water hadn't yet washed away all of her slick fluid that had been there since she saw Chris' nude figure sprawled out in bed.

She slid two of her fingers inside herself, working them in and out as she caressed her clit with her other hand. Within minutes she came, and while it satisfied her enough, it simply wasn't the same as Chris bringing her to climax. She sighed and decided it was good enough for the moment, then shut off the water, toweled herself dry, and brushed out her hair, running her fingers through it to separate the strands and air dry into their natural waves faster.

Brianna didn't redress after leaving the bathroom; since making love was both a nightly and morning ritual for them, it had become more convenient to sleep in the nude. She crept across the room and into bed, slowly crawling under the sheets in her best effort to not wake him.

Chris stirred in his sleep, released his hold on the pillow he had been cuddling with, and rolled over. “Hey, sweetie,” he mumbled as he pulled her into his arms, kissed the tip of her nose, and slowly opened his eyes. “I missed you.”

She smiled. “Even while sleeping?”

“Even while sleeping.”

“I think he missed me too.” Brianna impulsively moved her hand down and caressed the rock hard mast poking her stomach.

Chris moaned softly. “Yes...yes, he did.” He moved on top of her and kissed her hungrily.

She giggled as he nipped at her throat. “Babe, you need to sleep more.”

“I'll sleep when I'm dead. I got in a few hours, that's all I need to be ready for you again.”

“But I already took care of myself in the shower like I told you I would.” She whimpered as he grazed his teeth across her throat.

He looked at her with a smirk, but there was a hint of disapproval in his eyes. “I didn't think you were being serious, I thought you were just trying to torture me. How dare you cum without me there.”

Brianna smiled coyly. “I'm sorry. I was just trying to be a good girl and let you rest.”

“Well, you were being a very _bad_ girl instead by doing that.” Chris gently grasped her throat. “Don't ever do it again. You only cum when I'm watching you...or when _I'm_ the one making you cum.”

She whimpered as her loins flooded with heat; nothing turned her on quite like the dominating control he frequently exerted over her in bed. “Yes, sir. I won't do it again.”

“Good.” He ran his fingers through her hair, then resumed ravishing her throat. “I love it when your hair is wet, sweetheart...so fucking sexy,” he murmured in between hungry kisses.

Brianna moaned softly, then giggled. “Stop it, Chris. Maybe _I_ also need to get some rest before we film tonight. Your starlet needs her beauty sleep.” She gazed at him with a playful smile and a look in her eyes that told him without words she didn't actually want him to stop.

Chris smirked. “Maybe I'll just fire you so you won't have to worry about that.”

“So I've been on the casting couch for nothing? What about my big screen debut you promised?” Brianna whined as she moved her hand down and gently grasped his balls.

He grinned at her devilishly. “I'll let you keep your role if I get to make you cum on my cock at least three times.”

She sighed. “Three? Isn't one good enough?”

“Nope. It's three or you're fired, doll. Now do you wanna take this deal or not?”

“Alright, boss. I'll do whatever you say.” She smiled coyly and bit her lower lip.

“Yes, you will.” Chris growled as he sat up on his knees, ran one hand down her thigh until he reached her soaked warm center, and pushed two fingers inside of her, moaning quietly as they slid in with ease.

Brianna whimpered as he slowly moved his fingers in and out. “I didn't give you permission yet.”

“I wasn't asking for it. Your tight little cunt is _mine_ to have whenever I want.”

She moaned at his dominance over her, then eyed him and smirked. He removed his fingers from her, grabbed her hips, and pulled her up roughly to him. Chris met her lusty gaze with his own and smirked back at her – silently asking for permission to have more. Brianna nodded, and he slid his cock into her without hesitation, grasping as much as he could of her ass while he pounded into her.

“God, you're so fucking tight, sweetie...you feel so fucking good,” Chris whispered with a moan. He released one hand's grip on her ass to gently stroke her clit with his thumb.

Brianna locked her legs tightly around his waist, helping to keep her hips up for him as he continued pounding into her. She gripped the pillow above her head, breathing in sharply and whimpering, her volume building up until Chris had her shrieking his name as he pulled one climax after another from her. He attempted to go for a fourth one, but when she moaned “Fill my pussy with your cum” he abruptly lost all self-restraint and came inside of her, as if his body was under her complete control and didn't dare to ever disobey her.

Chris slowly let go of her ass, gave it a gentle spank, then he pulled out and fell back onto the bed beside her. He ran a hand through his fluffy mussed hair, a habit that had formed from being so accustomed to brushing sweaty locks of long hair out of his face – sometimes accompanied by a joke that Brianna's pulling on it was making it thin even faster.

“I know it's fucked up, but I really liked that 'sexual predator producer abusing his power' role play thing.” She grinned.

“I hate to admit it, but so did I.” Chris laughed, then wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her against him. “So aside from being coerced into having _amazing_ sex with your boss to keep your job, how has your day been, sweetie?”

She giggled. “Good! I made a friend, and one that lives in Boston too – well, most of the time anyway.”

“You did?” Chris looked at her in surprise, then grinned. “I can't believe the hermit witch finally left her forest hut and re-entered society. I'm proud of you.”

Brianna smacked his chest and laughed. “Fuck you.”

He chuckled. “In all seriousness though, that's great. I'm really glad you met someone you can hang out with now. What's her name?”

“ _His_ name is Alex.”

Chris' smile slowly dropped. “Oh.”

“He bumped into me at the coffee shop and spilled my drink. He felt really bad about it so he bought me another one, then we just walked around the park for a while talking. We actually have a lot in common, and he's really cool and funny. I think you'd like him.”

“Hmm.” Chris nodded as his body tensed up.

She propped herself up on her elbow and looked at him with a smirk. “Don't even start.”

“What? What do you mean?”

“Don't start getting jealous. He said I'm not his type.”

“I'm not jealous! I know men and women can be just friends. I'm fine with it, and...I'm happy for you, sweetie.”

Brianna looked at him knowingly with a small smile. “Alright then.” She kissed him tenderly and nuzzled his nose. “I'll tell you more later, but for now, I think we both need to get some sleep. I'm fucking exhausted.”

She nestled her head against his chest and quickly fell asleep in his arms, but no rest came to Chris. His mind raced with every possible worst case scenario; jealousy had already filled him, as well as fear, paranoia, and anger. _What was she thinking going off to the park with a complete stranger? Did she tell him she's engaged? Did he already know who she is because he recognized her? Did he touch her at all? Who the fuck does this guy think he is anyway? What a fucking asshole, trying to move in on another man's woman...I'll kick his fucking ass if he tries anything..._

Chris clenched his jaw and squeezed her tightly. _She's_ _ **mine**_ _._

***

“Okay, your favorite South Park episode. Go!”

Brianna laughed, then whined. “You know I can't pick _just_ one. I'm a Gemini!”

“Whatever is the first one that comes to mind is your favorite,” Alex said.

“Alright, fine. Cartman's Incredible Gift.”

“Good one! Mine has to be ManBearPig.”

“Ugh, damn it, that's the one I should have picked! It's fucking hilarious.”

“Right? I don't care how immature it is, Cartman shitting out a pile of treasure will never _not_ be hysterical.”

“So true. For some reason Chris doesn't get it! He doesn't think the show is funny, and I'll never understand why.”

“He's just got bad taste.”

Brianna laughed. Although they had only known each other for a few days, she had come clean to Alex about her betrothed when he mentioned he couldn't have cared less about celebrity culture, and she felt he was trustworthy enough to keep her secret. He had been slightly taken aback by her reveal, but found it amusing more than interesting and swore to keep her secret between just the two of them – and Brianna swore to keep one of his in return.

She looked up as they rounded a corner during their walk around the city, and laughed again. “Speak of the fucking devil,” she said, pointing to a theater ahead of them. “We're talking about Chris, and now this suddenly appears. That's the theater where he was in the play that he's turning into a movie now.”

“Oh, cool! Did you get a chance to see it?”

“Unfortunately no. I barely even knew who he was back then. I met him not long after he finished that play's run and came back home to Massachusetts.” Brianna smiled at the memory, then began to ramble. “Chris called me one day absolutely desperate for Dodger to get a springtime haircut. He didn't tell me until much later that Dodger was a complete asshole who fought every groomer tooth and nail until he got kicked out of all the shops in the area – I guess he was scared if he told me, then I wouldn't stick around – but the first time I worked on Dodger, he was a total sweetheart. He loved on me, gave me kisses, stood perfectly still for everything and never even threatened to misbehave. Chris was blown away when I told him Dodger had been a perfect gentleman for his first grooming by me. And...”

She couldn't help but smile even brighter and hold back a few happy tears. “The way Chris looked at me when I told him that was just...I don't really know how to describe it. He looked like he was having some sort of epiphany, and I guess he basically did. When he finally asked me out, he told me he knew I was a catch when he saw how much Dodger loved me from the moment we met.”

Alex grinned at her. “How the hell did you guys not hook up sooner?”

Brianna sighed. “Ugh, don't remind me. We wasted so much time dancing around that and being a couple of awkward anxious idiots. He's definitely a great actor, despite what he thinks of himself, because he hid it so well I had no idea he actually felt the same way. I spent _months_ trying so hard to play it cool around him and not look like a fucking needy train wreck who was desperate to be more than just friends, but I was terrified to say anything about it and...I didn't think I was good enough for him. I thought he was so far out of my league.”

He chuckled. “Trust me hun, you are definitely in his league! At least you guys took your time. It's not always bad to take things slow and just be friends for a while before dating.”

“I know, but it was kinda weird because we weren't exactly _friends_. I mean, we got to know each other pretty well over the course of a year, but it was so slow – short conversations at first, then longer ones, but for months after we met it was still like we barely knew each other...and yet at the same time, I felt like I'd known him my entire life.”

“Did Chris feel the same way? Like you were someone he already knew his whole life?”

“Yeah, he did. I think that's the reason why he was smitten with me at first sight, and why I fell for him not long after. I didn't expect to fall in love with him, but from the moment we met, I just _knew_ deep down that he's someone really fucking special who would somehow change everything about my life. But I tried to fight all of my feelings and not get too close or friendly with him because, well...he was a client. I needed his money.”

Alex laughed. “You've certainly got it now.”

She playfully smacked his chest. “Shut up, you know what I mean! I was scared of ruining my business – _and_ losing Chris too – if I fucked everything up with him. I guess it's kinda funny how my anxiety about that turned out to be a huge waste of energy, since I closed up shop and peaced the fuck out like six months later anyway.”

“Do you miss it?”

“Not at all. Fuck dog grooming. I still groom Dodger, but I'm more than happy now to just be a housewife-in-training.”

“Is that what they call sugar babies nowadays? I haven't been one myself in a while, so I'm out of the loop on what the lingo is now for cougars and daddies.”

Brianna laughed. “Oh my God, I am _not_ a fucking sugar baby! I'm not going to be financially dependent on him forever. I do still have my writing ambitions, you know.”

He wrapped his arm around her neck and gently grinded his knuckles on top of her head. “I know, I'm just being a dick to you.” Alex smoothed out her hair, then smiled with a gleam of tears in his eyes. “I'm a total sap for meet-cutes and epic love stories and happy endings, and he sounds like a pretty damn amazing guy. You two have the best love story I think I've ever heard. I hope I get to have one just like it someday.”

“Aw, I'm sure you will.” She smiled and stood on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek, but could only reach the bottom of his jaw. Brianna looked at the theater ahead of them again, then noticed a different one across the street. “While we're on the subject of love stories...” She pointed to the marquee in front of the other theater.

“Oooh, Phantom of the Opera!” Alex exclaimed. “Have you ever seen it?”

“Nope. I can't say I'm the biggest fan of musicals, but I'd make an exception for that one. I love the book and the silent film.”

“Of course you do – you're such a nut for anything horror! I've never seen it either, but I'd love to. Let's go see if there's any tickets left for tonight!” Alex grabbed her hand and pulled her along as they ran down the sidewalk, across the street, and into the theater lobby.

While he went to the box office to wrangle some tickets, Brianna heard her phone start ringing and pulled it out of her mini backpack; it was Chris, and she saw there were two other missed calls from him, as well as a text message. “Oh shit, I didn't even hear my phone,” she mumbled to herself as she quickly answered. “Hey, babe. What's up?”

“Hey, sweetie. Just wondering where you went. I know I was completely exhausted and passed out cold when I got back this morning, but I don't think I imagined you were also asleep in bed, did I?” He chuckled.

She giggled. “No, you didn't. You were definitely out cold, so when I woke up I didn't want to disturb you. I'm just doing some sightseeing around the city right now with Alex. He took me to see Rockefeller Center, the Empire State Building, and St. Patrick's Cathedral. It's been awesome!”

“Oh...okay.”

Brianna refrained from sighing. She could tell that Chris was growing more jealous with each passing day since she had met Alex. It started with him worriedly asking for specific details about where she would be getting frozen yogurt with Alex the day after their coffee shop run-in, and escalated into her catching Chris going through her phone the previous afternoon, when she had left it on the charger while she was busy packing his snack kit for the night.

He claimed that he was just looking for a particular photo of Dodger that Brianna had stored in her phone's gallery, but she knew better. As good of an actor as he was, she could see right through his facade every time he insisted he was happy for her newfound friendship. Whenever she mentioned Alex, Chris' energy shifted and she could tell that he was trying in vain to appear as if it didn't bother him.

“We're going to grab some lunch in Hell's Kitchen, why don't you meet up with us? You haven't met Alex yet, and I think you'd like him. It'll be fun!” Brianna could practically hear Chris tensing up and thinking to himself: _I don't want to meet that fucking asshole._

“Thanks sweetie, but...no, I think maybe I'll just try to get more sleep. But you'll be back at the hotel soon?”

“Yes, I will. Probably in an hour or so.”

“Okay. I love you.”

“I love you too. I'll see you in a bit.” She hung up just as Alex strutted towards her, brandishing two tickets.

“Score! Third row orchestra!”

“Wow, really? How were they not all sold out?”

“Well, they were. I might have flirted my way into that cute girl at the box office conveniently making a computer error and swapping some shitty cheap seats up in the rafters with these people's orchestra tickets.”

Brianna laughed. “You're fucking evil.”

“Hey, it got us great seats for half the price!”

“How much do I owe you?”

“Nothing, hun. It's on me.” He wrapped his enormous arm around her shoulders and she placed her hand on his back as they walked out of the theater and down the sidewalk.

“Alright, but I'm gonna buy lunch.”

“Deal. You want pizza?”

“Sure, sounds good to me.”

They made their way several blocks over to a hole-in-the-wall pizzeria; Brianna had barely taken one bite out of her slice when her phone started ringing. She sighed when she saw it was Chris again.

Alex looked at her in confusion. “What's up?”

“Chris is just being...I don't know. Apparently he's on one today.” She pressed answer. “Hey, babe.”

“Hey, sweetheart. Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, why?”

“It's been an hour and you're still not back yet. I'm just worried.”

“I told you I'd be back in an hour _or so_ – not in exactly one hour.”

“Oh...okay. Where are you?”

Brianna sighed quietly. “I'm having lunch with Alex in Hell's Kitchen, just like I told you we'd be doing.”

“Alright. Well, then...I'll see you soon?”

“Yes, I'm coming straight back to the hotel from here.”

“Okay, I'll see you in a little bit. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

A millisecond before she could end the call, Chris suddenly spoke again. “Bree?”

“ _What_ , Chris?” She replied with more annoyance in her voice than she intended.

“I really, _really_ love you. You know that, right?” He sounded on the verge of tears.

Tears filled her own eyes. “Yes...yes, I know. I really love you too. I'll be back soon.” Her heart sank as she ended the call. _Fuck, I need to go back there right now...I need to hold him tight, console him with kisses, make sure he knows I love him more than anything else in the universe...no, I can't. I can't enable his insecurity, and I'll be damned if I'm giving up any amount of my independence._

Alex smiled at her sadly. “If this is overstepping my bounds please feel free to tell me to fuck off, but it seems like you guys have some trust issues to work out – and I mean _both_ of you. I don't blame you at all for getting pissed about that strip club thing, I would have been angry too. But I can tell he's jumping to the conclusion that you're a cheater just as quickly as you jumped to the same conclusion about him.”

Brianna sniffled and fought back some tears. “Sorry, it's just these fucking red pepper flakes. They're so good on pizza, but they always make me...” She trailed off and looked up at him laughing quietly at her.

“It's okay to cry, you know.” Alex placed his hand over hers and gave it a firm squeeze. “I'm sorry, it's not my place to say anything. I didn't mean to upset you, hun.”

“You didn't. It's just...” She looked down so the other patrons in the restaurant wouldn't see her wipe away her tears. “I'm so scared of fucking everything up with him. I feel like I don't know how to do this relationship shit.”

“None of us do. We just have to figure it out as we go along, and if it's meant to be, then everything will be alright.”

She sighed. “I guess so.”

“Do you love him?”

“Yes, of course I do.”

“And he loves you?”

“Yes, he does – probably a little too much, but I probably also love _him_ too much.”

“Love is complicated, but everyone always makes it more complicated than it needs to be. Sometimes it really is as simple as: do you both love each other? Yes? Then don't worry – everything will be alright.”

Brianna shook her head and laughed. “Why the fuck is the terminally single dude who can't even remember the last time he was in a relationship giving _me_ premarital counseling?”

Alex grinned. “Coaches don't play.”

***

“Okay, Chris, enough!” Brianna laughed breathlessly as his mouth on her hypersensitive clit had gone from ecstasy-inducing to outright ticklish. “I'm done, I can't take anymore.”

He smirked as he pulled his head out from between her thighs and trailed kisses up her stomach, stopping at each of her breasts to flick his tongue across her nipples. “Are you sure?”

She laughed again. “Yes, I'm sure. What the hell has gotten into you?”

Mere seconds after Brianna had arrived back at the hotel penthouse from her lunch date with Alex, Chris started ravishing her with an animalistic intensity. He spent half an hour doing nothing except eating her out – even after he had already taken her in every position he could think of, making sure she came each time. Although she enjoyed every second of it, Brianna couldn't help but think Chris was overcompensating and trying to prove a point.

“Nothing. I just missed you.”

“Why are you being so clingy?”

“Is it wrong for me to miss you after not seeing you at all for two weeks straight? And being so busy I've barely gotten to see you this week now that you're finally with me again?”

She grabbed his chin and ran her thumb over the scar on it – one she didn't even know he had until he shaved his beard, and one she could only assume had been the result of an incident involving alcohol in his wilder years. “No, not wrong, but you've been a total fucking cling wrap boyfriend this entire week.”

“No I haven't, because I'm not your boyfriend. I'm your _fiance_ , remember?” Chris grinned at her.

Brianna laughed quietly and rolled her eyes, then propped herself up on her elbow and looked at him seriously. “I mean it, Chris. Why have you been up my ass so much this week? I know you've told me before that I've brought out a neediness you never knew was in you, but it's not like you at all to be _this_ clingy. Tell me the truth.” She already knew the answer, but she wanted to hear it from him.

He sighed. “Okay, okay. I'm just...I'm not comfortable with you hanging out with this Alex guy so much.”

“But I've only hung out with him for a few days.”

“Yeah, _and_ you've also been constantly texting him whenever you're not with him.”

“We're _just_ friends. You have friends who are women, so why does it bother you that I have a friend who's a man?” She got out of bed and headed to the closet to find something formal enough to wear out to a Broadway musical.

Chris didn't answer her question. “What are you doing?”

“Looking for something to wear tonight.”

“For what?”

Brianna sighed and braced herself for another influx of jealousy. “It's a last-minute thing. Alex got tickets for The Phantom of the Opera, so...we're gonna go see that.”

He rolled his eyes. “See, this is what I'm not comfortable with! You barely know this guy and you're going out with him again – at _night,_ while I'm going to be working until dawn.”

“Well, I'm not exactly gonna get to know him better if I don't spend time with him, am I? Can't you trust my judgment? He's not Ted Bundy.”

Chris sighed in aggravation.

Brianna looked at him with a sad smile. “And will you please stop worrying that I'm going to cheat on you?”

“What?”

“You heard me. I know that's why you don't like him being my friend – you just won't admit it.”

He blushed. “I mean, I...”

“Chris, please trust me.”

“I do! It's _him_ I don't trust.”

“Why? You don't know what he's like, you haven't even met him.”

Chris was silent for several moments, trying and failing to find a rebuttal. “I just don't trust him.”

She sighed in aggravation. “Seriously, why do you have such a huge problem with this? And do you have any idea how much of a fucking hypocrite you're being right now? _Your_ best friend is a woman.”

“Yeah, but...Tara is different.”

“How?”

“Well, she's _married_ for one thing, and for another I've known her for so many years she's like a sister to me. I'm grossed out by the thought of even kissing her!”

“So what? She's still the opposite sex, but I've never had a problem with it because I know nothing is going on with you two. Alex is the first real friend I've made in years. I told you we have a lot in common – like his family disowned him, so he's been on his own for a long time like I was. We're the same age, he likes horror movies way more than you do, he used to be a dog groomer, and he also has pretty much the same sense of humor as me and you. I think you'd actually really like him if you gave him a chance, babe.”

Chris folded his arms across his chest and huffed, not wanting to admit he was losing the battle.

Brianna set down the green floral sundress she decided was good enough for a night out, sat next to him on the bed, and held his face. “Alex is my friend, and that's _all_ he is to me. He's not interested in me, and I'm not interested in him.”

“You liking every one of his shirtless photos on Instagram seems to say otherwise,” he muttered.

“He's a model, for fuck's sake! Of course I think he's good-looking, but that doesn't mean anything to me, babe. And stop stalking my Instagram! Use your account for pictures of Dodger instead of creeping on people.”

“No, I hate social media.”

“Yet you've been lurking on it all week trying to keep tabs on me.” She looked at him sternly.

His face flushed red. “Okay, fine! I'm jealous – is that what you want to hear? I'm jealous you're spending so much more time with him than me, I don't trust this fucking guy, and...I'm kinda scared you'll cheat on me.” He didn't want to admit that his fear of infidelity was more prevalent than his jealousy and paranoia.

Brianna's eyes welled up as she smiled sadly, then gave him a long, gentle kiss. “Don't be scared, please. I'm _yours._ I promise.”

Chris smiled slightly as he felt somewhat reassured. “Okay, but...can you please not hang out with him alone all the time?”

Brianna rolled her eyes and sighed in aggravation. “ _No_. You know I wouldn't have any problem with you joining us sometimes – I honestly think you'd like him – but I'm not going to be Big Brothered by you or anyone else just to hang out with a friend! You have to get over this, Chris.” She narrowed her eyes slightly at him. “Besides, I can't help but feel like you kinda owe me, since I forgave you for something that was a way more _legitimate_ reason for me to get jealous and insecure.”

He sighed in resignation, knowing that she was right about the incident at the strip club being an understandable and fair reason for him to owe her.

She held his face and kissed him gently. “I don't want us to fight over this. We haven't fought or even bickered at each other since that mess back in February, so can we please just keep that up? Few and far between...remember?”

Chris smiled at her sadly. “I don't want to fight again either.” He sighed and placed his forehead against hers. “I know you're right. I trust you sweetie, and...I'm just gonna have to trust him too. I'll try to get over it.”

Brianna nuzzled his nose. “Thank you, babe. I have to start getting ready now, or I'm gonna be late for the show – and you'll be late for work.”

As she got up from the bed and walked away, all of Chris' insecurity, anger, and fear suddenly washed over him again. _But I can't make any promises..._

***

“So how was the show last night?” Chris asked quietly as Brianna cuddled up to him. He kissed the top of her head and stroked her hair as she nestled against his chest; it was early afternoon, and they had both just woken up. He was making an effort to put aside his jealousy and simply enjoy every moment with her before she went back to Massachusetts the next day.

“It was...okayish? I'm sorry babe, I just don't see what you see in musicals.”

“Because you're not a total loser like I am. Only theater nerds get it.”

Brianna laughed quietly. “I guess it was kinda cool, but I'm glad I didn't pay for the tickets. Gaston Leroux would turn over in his grave if he knew how fucking ridiculous they made his story. It was nowhere near as good as the book or the original film. I mean, the Phantom's deformity isn't even remotely scary in that fruity musical.”

He laughed. “Of course you'd say that. You're such a nut for anything horror.”

“That's exactly what Alex said yesterday.” She giggled, but her smile dropped off quickly when she felt Chris bristle at his name.

He looked at her and smiled slightly. _Just let it go, Chris...he's just her friend, she's not going to cheat on you, and you'll have her all to yourself again next weekend. She deserves to have friends, and it's good for us to be apart from each other sometimes – you know this. Just let it go..._ “Well, I'm glad he's gotten to know you pretty well this week.”

Brianna could see there was still worry he was trying to fight back in his eyes; she smiled reassuringly and kissed him. “Not as well as _you_ know me.”

Chris squeezed her tightly, then sighed. “I wish this film wasn't on such a tight schedule so I could take a damn break and just spend all night with you instead.”

“Yeah, that would be nice.” She sighed sadly.

As if on cue, Chris' phone started ringing. He answered it, then moments into the conversation started grinning. “Oh, really? Well, shit, that sucks. Yeah, I guess we're just gonna have to fall behind another night and pick up again tomorrow. Alright, sounds good. Bye.”

Brianna looked at him in confusion. “What's going on?”

Chris grabbed her face and kissed her. “I get the night off. Apparently one of the units above the lobby started having a bad water leak this morning, and the building owner isn't going to let us film tonight. Something about asshole celebrities and all of their expensive movie set shit just getting in the way of maintenance fixing the damage.”

She smiled brightly. “So then what are we gonna do for my last night in New York?”

“Well...I could drag you to see another fruity musical.” He laughed as Brianna playfully smacked his cheek. “How about I take you out on the town? We'll do whatever you want, sweetie.”

“Hmm...okay, I want a shopping spree at Tiffany's, followed by an exorbitant dinner and a night at the opera.” She grinned.

“Alright, done.”

“I'm not being serious.”

“I am. Let me spoil the shit out of you like the millionaire's wife you're gonna be.”

She laughed. “All I _really_ want to do is go to the top of the Empire State Building.”

“But you've already been there.” Chris' heart sank slightly at the reminder of her visiting the landmark with Alex instead of him earlier that week. “You want to go again? Why?”

Brianna grinned at him. “So we can make out on top of the world.”

He smiled as his insecurity was reassured once more. “Alright, but I'm still taking you on a shopping spree at Tiffany's.”

***

“I'll never forgive you for spending three thousand fucking dollars on a piece of jewelry, but I have to admit I think it looks really good on me,” Brianna said as she admired the necklace Chris had just clasped shut for her. She ran the tip of her finger across the diamond-encrusted crescent moon pendant hanging from a delicate silver chain. Despite her protestations, Chris insisted on buying her at least one thing from Tiffany & Co. that afternoon before they watched the sunset from the Empire State Building.

“Everything looks good on you, sweetie...and you're worth every penny,” Chris murmured as he kissed the back of her neck. A shiver of excitement ran down her spine at the touch of his lips; she turned around, held his face, and kissed him gently.

Chris returned her kiss with less tenderness, roughly slipping his tongue into her mouth and nibbling on her lower lip. He groped her ass – covered only by a pair of thin lace panties – then lifted her up, set her on the bathroom counter, and ran his hands up her thighs, spreading them apart for him to stand between. Brianna moaned softly as he grabbed the back of her hair, clenching it tightly in his fists as he pulled her head back to fully expose her throat for him to ravish.

“You're messing up my hair,” she giggled. “You know how easily it gets tangled.”

“Good. Then everyone will know I just fucked the shit out of you.” His hands moved down to grasp her hips, and he pressed his hardening cock – already begging to be freed from inside his slacks – against the moist crotch of her panties. He had been at half mast the entire time they were getting ready for their dinner date; simply watching Brianna curl her hair while wearing skimpy black lace lingerie had been enough to get him fired up.

“That can come later, babe. I'm really hungry,” she whimpered softly as he trailed kisses across her clavicle.

“You don't want to finish what we started at the Empire State Building?” He grinned at her.

She giggled. Although it had been brief, they were able to find a secluded corner on the observation deck to sneak away for a few moments of groping. “Yes, but...later. I don't want to fool around right now.”

Chris pulled his mouth away from her neck, smiled, and smoothed out her hair. “Okay. I don't have a problem waiting until you're ready, sweetie.” He kissed her one more time.

Brianna finished buttoning up his dress shirt and straightened out the collar, then smirked. “I won't keep you waiting for long.” She hopped off the counter and pulled on her dress for the night – a simple black off-shoulder cocktail dress, which she struggled to zip up herself.

He chuckled. “I'll get it for you.”

“I wish you wouldn't. You already do so much for me, babe.”

Chris zipped up the back of the dress, then gently spanked her ass. “Because _you deserve it_. Now just accept the fact I love you to death.”

She sighed dramatically and smiled. “Fine, I guess I can live with that.”

“Let's go before you get hangry instead of just hungry.” Chris knelt down to help her ease one foot then the other into her black stilettos.

“Just like Prince Charming, except you're not totally useless.” Brianna grinned, then checked her hair one last time before she and Chris left the room hand-in-hand.

Their walk to dinner was a short one; they were both steadily losing energy and decided to eat at the closest establishment – the hotel's five star restaurant. Brianna found their dinner menu more appetizing than the fare served for lunch, but nearly choked on how expensive her filet mignon was; she wondered if she would ever get used to Chris having so much money that spending hundreds of dollars on dinner was mere pocket change to him.

“The night is still young, sweetie. Have you changed your mind about catching an opera?” Chris grinned as they left the restaurant, arms around each other's waists.

She laughed. “Sure, if you want me to fall asleep in the middle of our date.” The sound of a lonely trumpet and a jazz singer's sultry voice crossed the lobby from the hotel lounge. “This is more my speed,” she said as she took his hand and they followed the sound of music into the dimly lit romantic bar. An open booth tucked into a corner offered plenty of privacy for them to spend the next hour having mixed drinks by candlelight, cuddled up together as they absorbed a melancholy jazz show.

Brianna's eyes couldn't help but water as the closing song came to an end. Chris chuckled as he caught one of her stray tears with the tip of his finger; he sniffled and forced the tears in his own eyes to recede. “Who knew that Frank Sinatra was the key to melting your icy heart?”

“Shut up,” she said with a giggle. “You don't have a soul if Mam'selle doesn't yank at your heart strings.” She sighed and snuggled up even closer to him. “Is there any way to make the night longer? I don't want to go home tomorrow.”

He swallowed a lump in his throat and kissed the top of her head. “I don't want you to go, either.”

Just then Brianna's phone buzzed in her purse – the first time it had gone off all night. She pulled it out and saw a text message from Alex: _Hey! Where you at right now? Just left another shoot, feel like getting a drink?_

“It's Alex,” she told Chris before he could peer over her shoulder at the screen. “He's just asking if I want to get a drink.”

He nodded slightly, trying to conceal the anger rushing through him. _Can this guy fuck off and stop trying to sabotage my relationship for just five God damn minutes?!_

Brianna bit her lower lip as she thought for a moment, then looked at Chris with a small smile. “Why don't I ask if he wants to have a drink with us here? I'd really like you to meet him, babe.”

Chris sighed quietly. Having his night with her interrupted by someone he wasn't the least bit interested in meeting was the last thing he wanted, but he decided it was a better option than Brianna going somewhere else without him – and there was a small voice in the back of his mind telling him that he did genuinely want to be happy for her newfound friendship. _Maybe_ _it won't be so bad...she deserves to spend more time with her friend, it's not okay for me to tell her no and be a controlling asshole. I should at least meet him and see what he's really like...maybe he is actually a cool guy after all._

He gave her a small smile. “Okay, sure.”

Brianna smiled back at him and started typing a response to Alex. “He said he'd love to meet you too. Apparently he's only a few blocks away, so he'll be here soon.”

Chris spent the next several minutes mentally preparing himself for Alex's arrival. They sat together in silence as he held Brianna tightly, trying to calm himself and not appear as on edge as he felt. She stroked the scar on his chin, smiled at him reassuringly, and kissed him tenderly.

“Briannaaaaa!” A deep voice called out from across the room. She broke their kiss, looked over, and smiled brightly as she waved at Alex strutting over with a grin.

As soon as Chris saw the imposing figure approaching them, any and all confidence in himself vanished. His insecurities rushed back to the surface, and Brianna's reassurances were lost in the fog of his mind. Despite already knowing from social media what Alex looked like, he wasn't expecting him to be even more handsome in person – or as tall. Chris was suddenly overwhelmed with self-consciousness about everything from his height being just barely above average, to his clean-shaven bald face and receding hairline, both of which he thought looked pitiful compared to Alex's thick dark beard and full head of hair. _God damn it, I can't fuckin' compete with this..._ He thought dejectedly.

Brianna slid out of the booth and greeted him with a hug, then gestured for Chris to stand up. “Alex, this is Chris.”

“Hey,” Chris said quietly as he got to his feet and extended his hand.

“Hey dude!” Alex gave him a firm handshake. He towered over Chris by half a foot, and looked every inch a gentleman in his tailored designer suit. “It's so cool to finally meet the Star-Spangled Man with a Plan, or whatever that was.”

Chris rolled his eyes. “You want an autograph or something?”

“Nah, I'm just messing with you. Sorry, but I'm not impressed by celebrities – unless it's Britney Spears. I almost pissed myself when I actually got a selfie with her at a party last year.”

“Yeah, it sure is _so_ cool to meet a singer who hasn't been relevant for more than a decade,” Chris muttered as they all sat in the booth; he inched closer to Brianna and wrapped his arm around her waist, keeping one hand firmly on her hip to hold her against him and away from Alex.

She heard his remark, discreetly elbowed him in the ribs, and gave him a look.

“You guys want to split a bottle of Montepulciano?” Alex asked as he perused the drink menu. “I have no idea what it is, but it sounds fancy.”

“No thanks, it's not my favorite wine.” Chris had never even heard of it before, but he wanted to appear cultured.

“Yeah, his favorite wine is boxed,” Brianna said with a laugh. She rubbed the back of his head and kissed his cheek as he blushed bright red. “I'm just teasing, babe. It's my favorite too. We live in the woods, we're not exactly fancy people.”

“Hey, nothing wrong with that!” Alex flagged down a server so they could order.

“I'll just have a beer, please – whatever you got,” Chris said to the waiter. _I might as well try to look tough..._ He thought bitterly.

Chris sat mostly in silence, sipping his beer while Brianna and Alex shared the bottle of wine and he regaled them with tales of the globetrotting that his modeling career had taken him on. When Alex started rambling about the adventures he'd had in the wilderness of Alaska as a bush pilot, Chris couldn't help but bristle. _Okay, Jesus fucking Christ, we get it – you're the coolest, toughest dude to ever walk the fucking planet. Shut up already!_

“So I shit you not, like five minutes after I had to make an emergency landing, this fucking grizzly bear just shows up out of nowhere and starts growling like it's about ready to charge at me. Thank God there was a flare gun in the cockpit and that was enough to scare it off, but then I had to spend the next two days praying it wouldn't come back while I was waiting for them to finally come find me out there – and this was springtime in Alaska too! It was still fucking freezing, I had to make one granola bar and one bottle of water last for two days, I didn't have any of my camping gear with me except for some flint – but I was too scared to build a fire in case that damn bear noticed it and came back, so I slept in the cold as shit plane each night with nothing but a foil blanket. It was the most terrifying but insanely cool experience of my life.”

Brianna laughed and stared at him in amazement. “I can only imagine! God, I wouldn't have lasted even ten fucking minutes out there.”

“Wow, cool story. You're a real badass, huh?” Chris said to him dryly with a tight smile. Brianna rolled her eyes as he downed the rest of his beer. She had been trying to keep Chris included in the conversation and encourage him to get to know Alex, but her effort had been futile; he refused to contribute anything more than terse statements when he wasn't being silently judgmental.

“Alright, I think I've had enough for one night. I'm gonna head back to the room now.” Chris released his hold on Brianna and got up from the booth.

He narrowed his eyes slightly at Alex, then grabbed Brianna's face and kissed her deeply, slipping his tongue into her mouth and making an overt display of his passion for her. Chris slowly parted his lips from hers and stroked the side of her face with his fingertips. “I'll be waiting for you, sweetheart,” he said quietly, then walked away with his chest out.

Alex raised an eyebrow as he watched him leave. “Damn, what crawled up his ass tonight?”

Brianna sighed. “I'm sorry, he's just really fucking grumpy from filming. He gets into such a bad mood whenever he's stressed out. He really isn't an asshole, I swear.”

“At least he looks like a good kisser.” He chuckled. “Did you guys have a talk like you said you were going to?”

“Yeah, sorta. I guess it didn't make as much progress as I hoped it would.” She sighed, then looked at Alex seriously. “Should I just tell him about...you know?”

Alex grimaced slightly. “I'd prefer if you didn't – not yet anyway.”

“Okay, I won't say anything.” Brianna pulled a fifty out of her purse and passed it to him. “Here, let me pay for part of the bill.”

“Closing the tab already?”

“I need to go put out another fire now.”

Alex smiled at her reassuringly. “Everything will be okay.”

“I hope so,” she sighed, then stood up and gave him a hug. “Well, I guess this is goodbye for now.”

“Not yet! Your flight doesn't leave until tomorrow afternoon, right?”

“Yeah, but I'm expecting Chris will be even more of an anxious mess about me leaving, so we'll just hang out next time you're in Boston.”

“Alright, no worries! I'll be back there in a few weeks.” He gave her another tight bear hug and kissed her forehead. “Is it dumb that I love you already? I never believed in that 'falling in love after knowing someone for less than a week' Jack and Rose bullshit, but I get it now.”

Brianna laughed. “I love you already too. I guess sometimes you just know right away when someone is gonna change your life for the better, and you can't explain why – like how I just knew that about Chris when I first met him.”

Alex smiled. “You two have my favorite love story, you know. I can tell you're meant to be together, despite his PMS'ing lately. I'm rooting for you guys. Don't be a pushover when you talk to him again, but don't be a complete bitch either...just mostly a bitch.” He winked at her.

She laughed. “Thanks for the advice, and thanks for being such a good friend to me. I'll see you in a few weeks.” They hugged once more, then parted ways. Brianna took in a deep breath and made her way up to the penthouse. She tried to keep herself calm, but her irritation with Chris only increased with each step.

Brianna entered and headed to the bedroom, ready to confront him. “What the hell was that down there?” She looked at him sternly.

“It was you forcing me to have a drink with some pompous asshole,” Chris replied flatly without looking up from the book he was reading in bed.

She sighed in aggravation, then pulled off her heels and dropped them on the floor. “I'm not in the mood for you being a fucking smartass.”

He tossed his book aside. “And I'm not in the mood for you leaving your fucking clothes on the floor again. You do that all the time at home, you have to do it here too?”

She clenched her jaw, picked up her heels, and threw them into the closet. “Happy now?”

“No.”

Brianna stormed into the bathroom to undress and clean up before she lost her temper with him. She took in several deep breaths as she struggled to unzip the back of her dress.

Chris rubbed his bare face in aggravation – feeling envious again of Alex's full beard that seemed to mock his own boyish naked jaw – then he was suddenly filled with shame. _God, Chris, pull yourself the fuck together and get over it. Stop being such a paranoid asshole, stop being so fucking insecure...she doesn't deserve this..._ He sighed sadly, got out of bed, and went into the bathroom.

“Fuck!” Brianna yelled in frustration as she was fumbling with the zipper on the back of her dress.

“Here, I got it,” Chris said as he unzipped it for her.

“Thank you,” she replied quietly, then pulled down her dress, stepped out of it, and unclasped her bra. She turned to face him, but he didn't even notice her bare breasts or the skimpy panties that had made him hard mere hours ago. He couldn't look anywhere except into her eyes, filled with frustration and sadness; there were more pressing matters at hand for him than sex.

Chris held her face and placed his forehead against hers. “I'm sorry,” he whispered. “I don't want us to fight.”

Brianna placed her hands over his and nuzzled his nose. “I don't want us to fight either.” She kissed him tenderly, then sighed. “I wish you would trust me.”

“I do. I'm just...I don't know. I got too used to having you all to myself. I'm just being a selfish, jealous, stupid asshole.”

She smiled sadly. “We can't have each other all to ourselves all the time, babe. It's not healthy. We still need to do our own thing sometimes and have our own lives.”

“I know, I know I'm being such a fucking hypocritical jackass.” He shook his head and choked back tears. “I don't know how to say this without sounding like I don't trust you, because I do. I just...I really don't trust him. I know _you_ wouldn't seek it out, but I don't want him to start giving you any ideas and-”

Brianna cut off his words with a kiss. “Stop it. I love _you_ , Chris. Only you. Believe me, he definitely won't start giving me any ideas.” She paused and bit her lower lip, wondering for a moment if she should tell him more. _No, I'm sure he'll eventually just get over it..._

Chris could tell she was pondering something. “What is it?”

“Nothing.” She shook her head, then wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him again. “I just want to go to bed with you now, and start over again in the morning.”

“Okay.” He picked her up, carried her over to the bed, and tucked her in beneath the sheets before he crawled in next to her. “Goodnight, sweetie.”

“I didn't say anything about sleeping.” She smirked and moved on top of him.

Chris gave her a small smile as she straddled him. “I would be really disappointing tonight, honey. I don't have much energy.”

“That's okay, I don't either...but I have enough to do something just for you. You don't need to do anything except enjoy it.” Brianna smiled, moved herself between his thighs, tugged down his boxers, and took him into her mouth; he groaned softly and grew hard within moments despite his exhaustion.

After only a few minutes of her warm wet mouth working up and down his cock, he grasped her hair and pulled her head away. “On second thought, I'm not that tired,” Chris said as he flipped her onto her back and moved on top of her. She pulled his shirt up and over his head, groping and running her hands all over the warm taut muscles of his abs, chest, and arms – smaller than they had been a year ago, but still chiseled.

“God, you're so fucking sexy,” Brianna purred at him as she slid her hands up to his face, stroked his smooth jawline, then ran her fingers through his hair and gently tugged on it; the fact its thinning was evident only made him even more desirable to her. She thought it made him look mature, refined, and somehow even more commanding and masculine – like his years of experience lent itself not only to his strength and ability to protect her, but also to his complete devotion to her.

He smirked. “You don't have to lie to me, sweetheart.”

“I'm not lying. You're the most fucking gorgeous man to ever live, babe. Nobody else does what you do to me...nobody can make me feel the way _you_ make me feel. I love you.” She nipped his lower lip. “I want you inside me. Give me your huge cock and fuck me _hard_.”

Chris moaned at the sound of her sultry voice in his ear, and immediately obeyed her command. In his desperation to sheathe himself inside her, he yanked on her panties with such force the seams ripped apart; he tossed aside the torn useless garment and plunged into her, already soaked and ready for him.

“You're never disappointing, Chris,” she whimpered. “I don't want anyone else but you.”

He growled as he felt his security in his masculinity rise at her reassurance. With one hand he gently grasped her slender throat, and with the other grabbed one of her legs. He pulled it up high and draped it over his shoulder so he could drive even deeper into her, hitting her sweet spot just right and pulling a yelp out of her.

“Tell me again,” Chris moaned.

“You're the only one I want. I'm yours.”

“Good,” he whispered, then released his hold on her throat and moved his hand down to gently toy with her clit. He had her crying out and clawing at his chest within moments as she unraveled before him. He pulled his hand away and kept going, thrusting into her even harder than before to bring one more, then another, out of her with nothing but the strokes of his cock.

“That's my girl, always cumming for me... _only_ me,” Chris growled with a satisfied smirk as he gazed at her ecstatic face, and savored the sound of her shrieking his name repeatedly.

“Yes, only you,” Brianna whimpered between heavy breaths. “Cum for me now, Chris.”

“ _Fuck_ , Bree...” He moaned loudly, and in a last-second impulsive decision, quickly pulled out in time for his cock to erupt on her stomach. Chris grinned at the sight of his cum sprayed across her torso; the visual of marking her in that way was just as pleasing to him as filling her inside. When he was done admiring how beautiful she looked – her nude figure sprawled out before him, eyes shut as she breathed in deeply – he got out of bed, grabbed a towel from the bathroom, and cleaned the mess off her.

Chris smiled sheepishly. “Sorry. It's been a while since I did that, and I just felt like doing it again.”

Brianna grinned at him. “Don't lie. You know you did it so you can see proof that I'm yours.” She pulled him down to her and kissed him.

He chuckled. “Well, you haven't worn your ring at all since you've been here, so I need to see _something_ , don't I?”

“You're such a ridiculous meatball.” She giggled and kissed him again, gently nibbling on his lower lip. “But you're _my_ meatball.”

“Yes, I am. I love you,” Chris whispered in her ear as he nuzzled the side of her head, breathing in the scent of her hair. He blushed slightly and hesitated on his next words. “Will you stay until next weekend? Don't go home tomorrow. Stay here with me until we're done filming, please?”

She sighed sadly. “I have to get back to Dodger, babe. You know Shanna and everyone else can't watch him past tomorrow because they're all going to Disney World next week – without us _again_. We can't just board him either, you told me you tried that once and it flared up his PTSD from the time he spent in the shelter.”

“I'll tell Scott to drive him down here tomorrow before they leave on Monday. It's only a few hours away, he'll do it.” Chris nuzzled her throat and sighed. “I'm sorry, I know I'm being selfish and ridiculous. I just need you – and Dodger too – with me again. I want you to stay....please.”

She kissed his forehead and smiled at him. “Okay, as long as Scott will _for sure_ bring Dodger to us.”

“He will.” Chris kissed her throat, working his way up until he captured her mouth again. “You're too good to me, sweetie...I don't deserve you. Thank you for putting up with me being such a fucking needy baby.”

Brianna grinned. “You're lucky I love you so much.”

He chuckled. “I know it.”

***

“Yay! Good job, Dodger!” Brianna called out while laughing and clapping.

Dodger looked over at her proudly, happily panting and wagging his tail as he pinned a squirrel to the ground with his front paws.

Chris laughed as they walked hand-in-hand over to the mutt. “Okay Bubba, let it go now. You know we only catch them – _no killing_.” The squirrel was frantically wiggling around and squeaking in terror at Dodger's grasp around its chubby body. He whined in dejection at being forbidden from tearing apart and eating his prey.

“Listen to Dad,” Brianna told him.

He sighed and slowly removed his paws; the squirrel bolted away and up into the nearest tree.

“Come on, we'll get you some ice cream instead,” Chris said as he clipped the leash onto Dodger's collar. They had spent over an hour that afternoon indulging him with off-leash squirrel chasing all over Central Park, and the mutt seemed to have finally tired himself out.

“No! He _just_ lost weight and now you're trying to make him fat again?” Brianna looked at him sternly.

“Aw, come on! He's on vacation too, isn't he? Let him have it... _please_ , Mom?” Chris grinned.

Dodger looked up at her with pleading eyes and whined.

She rolled her eyes, sighed, and smiled. “Alright, fine – but only a _small_ cup.”

Chris took her hand in his and the leash in the other as they headed to a nearby ice cream parlor, which almost refused to allow Dodger to sit inside until they realized who he was. The shop owner was more excited to take a selfie with Dodger, but asked for one with Chris and Brianna as well in exchange for allowing them to break health code laws.

“Paws off the table, buddy,” Chris said as he pushed his furry feet back onto the bench of the booth they were seated at. “You're lucky you can even sit up here with us.”

“I guess being a celebrity has some perks,” Brianna said, grinning as she watched Dodger all but inhale his tiny cup of strawberry ice cream.

“Yeah, it does. Sometimes it's nice getting to be an entitled asshole who gets special treatment.” Chris grinned and reached across the table to hold Brianna's hand when she set down her spoon, having just finished off the last of the banana split they had been sharing.

She smiled back at him and squeezed his hand. “I'm so glad you're done after tomorrow night's shoot and we can finally go home.”

“Almost. The producers threw together a last minute wrap party on Sunday night, but at least we'll only be here for a couple more days. God, I can't wait to sleep in our own bed again. I miss that mattress.”

“Yeah, I do too. The one at the hotel is...well, it's just not quite the same for...you know.” Brianna smiled coyly, slid one foot out of her sneaker, and ran it up the inside of his leg until she reached his crotch; the shadow beneath the table concealed her gently rubbing her foot across the bulge in his gym shorts.

He smirked, grabbed her ankle, slowly ran his hand up the soft spandex of her leggings, and gently squeezed her calf. “I get what you mean.”

Dodger snorted and looked at both of them in disgust. He had spent every night that week sleeping on the sofa in the penthouse living room, completely fed up with his parents' excessively horny nature.

“Okay, okay. Sorry, pal.” Chris and Brianna both laughed as she put her foot down and slipped her sneaker back on.

She yawned. “Time for an afternoon nap now?”

“Yeah, I think so. Did you see everything you wanted to, sweetie?”

“Yep! Going on the carousel was all I really wanted to do, even though Dodger didn't particularly care for a ride on the swirling vortex of death. I'm _so_ glad you got a video of that.” She laughed. Chris had captured on tape their mutt clinging to Brianna for dear life as she held him on their shared carousel horse, his eyes so wide in fear that the whites were showing.

He chuckled. “I am too, that was classic. If people wouldn't accuse me of animal abuse – because apparently everything I do nowadays is _so_ fucking wrong – I'd be more inclined to tweet that video.” Chris rubbed Dodger behind the ears. “You've been a real trooper, Bubba. I know this hasn't been the funnest vacation ever for you, but we'll make it up to you when we get back home. How about another camping trip? You can spend the whole weekend chasing rodents and swimming in the pond...and I promise Mom and I won't be _too_ gross.”

Dodger bounced his head up and down once as if nodding in approval, wagged his tail, and licked Chris' face.

Brianna laughed. “Sounds good to me too.”

Chris gave her hand another squeeze, smiled, and sighed quietly in contentment; he'd had her all to himself again every day that week of her extended stay. They slept until nearly noon, made love to get their energy up for the day, spent time in the afternoon entertaining Dodger, took a nap, went to the set together – where Brianna helped the crew when she could, but mostly sat on the sidelines quietly watching Chris direct and act – then got back to the hotel at dawn, made love again to wind down for sleep, and started the cycle all over again when they woke up.

And much to Chris' relief, Brianna hadn't seen Alex at all that week; she had barely even talked to him. She informed Chris that he was busy for most of the week anyway, and reassured him that she wanted to spend time with her codependent fiance instead. Chris felt so at ease again, he thought he was even finally reaching the point of accepting and trusting her newfound friendship – and hating Alex slightly less for making him feel so insecure, unattractive, and short.

“Alright, let's get out of here and go take our nap,” he said. Brianna took Dodger's leash and guided him at her side as Chris wrapped his arm around her waist and walked on the outside of the sidewalk; even in the well-to-do area of the city, he was still on alert and made sure to keep both her and their fur-child protected at all times.

Hours later, Chris awoke from their afternoon nap to find Brianna wasn't at his side. Her half of the bed wasn't even still warm – only the foot of the bed was toasty, where Dodger was leaning against Chris' lower leg and sleeping soundly – indicating she had been gone for quite a while. _Shit, I must have been out totally fucking cold...or she's developed some damn good ninja skills sneaking away from me..._ He thought in amusement.

“Bree?” Chris called out as he stretched, got up from the bed, and pulled on the gym shorts he had worn earlier. “Bree, where are you?”

“In here, babe,” she replied from the suite's kitchen.

The heavy scent of pasta and marinara hung in the air as he made his way over to the kitchen, then stopped in his tracks in the doorway. Brianna was at the counter preparing two plates; she had just finished cooking dinner – while wearing nothing but a transparent black lace bra and cheeky panties, complete with black stilettos, a garter belt holding up fishnet stockings, and an apron tied around her waist for a modicum of decency.

Chris grinned in delight. “What the hell are you doing?”

Brianna smirked at him. “What does it look like I'm doing? I'm making you dinner, honey.” She untied the apron and let it drop to the floor, completely revealing her lingerie underneath. “Isn't that what a good housewife is supposed to do?”

Chris quickly walked over to her, grabbed her waist, and hoisted her up onto the counter. “Yes, it is. Thank you, sweetie.” He latched onto her throat and began to kiss and nip her.

“I wanted to surprise you when you woke up,” she said softly.

“Oh, I am _definitely_ surprised.” He gazed at her hungrily as he slid his hands underneath the thin lace bra and palmed her breasts. “God, you look like such a fucking slut and I love it. When did you even get this? I don't remember buying it for you.”

Brianna giggled. “While you slept I went shopping for some groceries... _and_ this. I was worried you wouldn't be passed out hard enough for me to sneak away and keep all of this a surprise, so it's a good thing I wore you out earlier.”

Chris smirked. “So _that's_ why you insisted on giving me head before our nap.”

She smiled coyly and nodded as he squeezed her breasts.

“I love it. You always know exactly what I want,” he growled.

She moaned softly as he resumed kissing her throat. “Yes, I do.”

“You're too fucking good to me, sweetie,” Chris murmured, then pulled away from her neck for a moment and smiled as he finally noticed what she had prepared. “Thank you for making my favorite.”

Brianna smiled back at him. “I know how much you love spaghetti with my homemade sauce.”

“I do. It's even better than my mom's.” Chris grinned.

“That's blasphemy.”

“Nope, it's the truth.” He held her face and gave her a long, deep kiss. “I'm starving.”

“Then let's eat, babe. Let me just take all this shit off first, I'll put it back on for you later and-”

Chris interrupted her with a kiss, and pushed her back onto the counter as she started inching herself off of it. He smirked and ran his thumb across her lower lip. “I want dessert first.”

“And yet _I'm_ the insatiable one?” Brianna smirked back at him, then ran her hand across the hard tent in his shorts. “No dessert first. I already spoil you too much.”

Chris moaned softly as she groped his cock. “Can I have it, sweetie? Please?” He ran his hands up her thighs to spread them apart.

She raised her leg up and placed her foot against his torso, pressing the thin pointy stiletto heel into his abs. It poked into him sharply as she pushed on him, stretching her leg out straight until he backed away from her. “No,” Brianna said with a smirk. “You can wait.”

He whined in frustration – but couldn't deny he loved it when she tortured him in such fashion – then grasped her ankle and kissed the inside of it. “Okay, fine. I'll eat my dinner first like a good boy.”

“Yes, you will.”

Dinner didn't last long for either of them; even Brianna quickly ate only half of her food before she pulled him away from his own plate, and he promptly began to tear off her lingerie one piece at a time.

“Off, this needs to come off...you're covered up too fucking much,” Chris muttered as he struggled to multitask, trying to unclasp her bra at the same time he had her bent over the dining room table, pounding into her roughly.

“But I thought you loved it,” Brianna whimpered.

“I do,” he said as he finally yanked the garment off her, then pulled out, turned her around, and lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he carried her into the bedroom. “But not when you're being a little fucking bitch, making me wait so long through dinner and torturing me like that.” Chris smiled devilishly.

Brianna giggled as he tossed her onto the bed, pulled her legs over his shoulders, and finally ate his dessert. She whimpered and moaned loudly, grasping his hair and pulling him even closer as he slid his fingers into her, working them in and out as he stroked her clit with his tongue. When he was satisfied with the number of climaxes he brought out of her, his mouth and fingers both completely slick and glistening, he plunged his cock back into her and came almost immediately; being tantalized so severely by her had made him too sensitive and impatient.

“Fuck, sorry sweetheart,” Chris groaned as he slowly pulled out and laid beside her.

“What are you apologizing for?” She laughed.

He sighed. “I can do better than that.”

Brianna grabbed his face and kissed him. “Will you please stop giving yourself such a hard time all the time? That's my job.” She grinned.

Chris chuckled. “You're right, it is.” He looked over at the clock on the nightstand. “Shit, we gotta get going or we'll be late.”

He hopped out of bed, grabbed the same plain black tee shirt he had been wearing earlier, and pulled it on.

Brianna yawned and stretched. “I think I'm going to stay here tonight instead.”

“Are you sure? You know I don't mind you tagging along.”

“Yeah, I'm really tired, babe – and I don't want to get in the way again. I feel like I've already been more hindrance than help with you guys rushing to catch up after falling behind. I'll just stay here, and come with you tomorrow for the final night instead.” She smiled.

Chris smiled back at her. “Sounds good to me, sweetie.”

Brianna rolled onto her side and propped herself up on her elbow, sprawling out in bed with the sheets clinging to her nude figure as she watched him finish dressing. She eyed him with lusty disappointment as he pulled up his boxers and jeans, concealing his still half-hard cock.

He smirked as he tucked himself down to the right. “Miss me already?”

“Maybe.”

“Now who's being the clingy one?” Chris grinned as he tied his sneakers, then walked back to the bed and moved on top of her again, holding himself up on his arms.

“I'm not clingy – just ridiculously horny all the time.” She giggled.

“Mmhmm, _sure_.” He nipped her lower lip then nuzzled the side of her head. “Don't run off anywhere,” Chris whispered in her ear.

“You know I won't.”

He smirked. “Good. I expect to see you just like this when I get back, sweetheart.”

“I'll be asleep by then.” She smiled coyly.

“I know – but I also know you'll wake up soaking wet and ready for my cock again as soon as I lay down next to you.”

“Hmm...okay, you're right about that.” Brianna grabbed his face and kissed him, then slapped his ass. “Now get out of here before you're late.”

Chris smiled and kissed her one more time, got up from the bed, grabbed his backpack, and left.

She sighed contentedly, then got up, dressed herself, fed Dodger – who had been pouting in the living room the entire evening – and took him out for a long walk, making sure to apologize profusely for his vacation turning out to be almost nothing but hiding from his parents' vulgarity. Dodger seemingly forgave her when they returned to the penthouse and she gave him an extra large bully stick to gnaw on.

Boredom quickly set in for Brianna as she lounged on the living room sofa, alternating between mindlessly flipping through TV channels and checking Twitter while trying to avoid any mentions of her and Chris. Their relationship had divided his fandom into Team Brianna and Team I Hope That Fucking Whore Dies; she would occasionally check the fan pages dedicated to shipping her and Chris for a self-esteem boost, but it always inevitably led to seeing nasty comments from those who viewed her as a public enemy.

Brianna sighed and closed the hellish app. _I should know better than to look at any of that shit...maybe some day it won't hurt me so much..._ She thought.

Her social media venture had both bummed and stressed her out almost instantly. Deciding she needed to just relax and go to sleep early, she opened the coffee table drawer and retrieved the small canister she had left in there to hide from the hotel maid. She opened it and pulled out a dime bag she had bought before leaving Massachusetts, a glass pipe, and a lighter.

Just as she pulled off a piece of the bud and packed it into the pipe, her phone buzzed with a text from Alex: _Hey! Go down to the lobby. There's a surprise for you at the front desk._

Brianna furrowed her brows in confusion, then she got up, pulled on her sneakers, and made her way down to the lobby. As she walked towards the front desk, she heard a wolf whistle from behind her.

“Hey, sexy lady! Nice ass.”

She turned around, ready to tell a stranger to fuck off, but grinned instead when she saw Alex leaning against a nearby column with a wrapped gift in his hand.

Brianna laughed. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

“Surprise! I'm the surprise – and this too.” He handed her a rectangular box wrapped in red paper.

She tore off the paper, then gasped quietly. “Where did you find this?!” It was a first edition VHS copy of the silent film adaptation of The Phantom of the Opera. Brianna had mentioned in passing that VHS tapes were a small portion of her extensive movie collection, and she purchased her favorite films whenever she was able to find a copy of them in the archaic format.

“There's a gift shop near my hotel that sells a bunch of random kooky gifts – antiques and collector's items and stuff like that. I know how much you like old weird shit, so I thought I'd get you something before you leave.”

She smiled brightly and gave him a hug. “This is incredibly sweet of you. Thank you.”

Alex lifted her up off the ground to hug her tightly. “No problem at all, hun,” he said as he kissed her cheek, then set her back down.

“Too bad I'll have to wait until I get back home to my VHS player to see how this movie hits when I'm blazed.” Brianna smiled and lowered her voice. “I was actually just getting ready to smoke. Do you feel like seshing?”

He laughed. “Hell yeah! It's been a while since I lit up.”

As soon as they stepped into the elevator to go up to the penthouse, Brianna was suddenly filled with guilt and anxiety about whether or not she should tell Chris. _No, just don't. He won't be back until dawn anyway, Alex will be gone long before then, and what Chris doesn't know won't hurt him...God damn it, but withholding information is the same thing as lying...fuck._

She took in a deep breath as she unlocked the front door and forced her anxiety down. _I'll worry about it later. I just want to get fucking stoned and have fun hanging out with Alex again. If Chris is upset by it then tough shit, I'm not going to be told what to do by him...unless we're in bed._

Dodger barked in surprise at their return, then wagged his tail and spun in a circle excitedly when he saw Alex. He charged over and jumped up to rudely introduce himself, but miscalculated his trajectory and slammed his head into Alex's crotch.

“No, Dodger!” Brianna scolded him and pulled him back by his collar. “Sorry about that, he's just way too friendly and loves meeting new people.”

“It's alright, he only hit me in the nuts.” Alex laughed and winced as he rubbed the top of Dodger's head with one hand, and gently grasped his crotch with the other; Dodger ran into the bedroom in embarrassment. “I never wanted to have kids anyway.”

They went into the living room and lit up a bowl – followed by another – while laughing hysterically as they watched the vulgar adventures of animated fourth graders.

“It never. Stops. Being funny!” Brianna wheezed.

Alex wiped away tears from his eyes and snorted in laughter. “I know. How do they fucking come up with this? Getting high on cat piss?”

“Fucking genius,” Brianna said as she rubbed her chest, then giggled when she realized she had grabbed her left boob while laughing; it had become an unconscious habit she picked up after spending almost an entire year with Chris.

Alex sighed as he stretched. “One more before I head out?”

“Sure!” She grabbed the remote and went to the channel's main menu to select a different episode. While she scrolled through the episodes to find one that sounded good to watch while stoned, Alex sighed sadly.

“Can I ask you something that's going to sound extremely weird and creepy?”

“Yeah, what is it?”

“Can we cuddle?”

She looked at him in both confusion and amusement. “Cuddle?”

“Yeah. Okay, let me explain. I honestly can't remember the last time I cuddled with someone, because, well...you know why. It's been so long, I just kinda want to be reminded of what it's like to hold a real human again, instead of my Build-A-Bear. Obviously you know this isn't anything romantic, but...” He blushed slightly and looked down. “Sorry, never mind. I shouldn't have asked. I'm being a total fucking creep.”

Her heart sank slightly at the sadness in his eyes. “No, you're not. It might be a little weird, but whatever. Who cares? Humans need to hold each other. It's just in our nature.”

Alex laughed. “Wow, I never thought I'd hear _that_ from the anti-social one.”

“Shut up and just hold me like your Build-A-Bear.” Brianna giggled as he wrapped his arms around her and she nestled her head against his chest, curling up with him on the couch.

They both zoned out and completely lost track of time as they continued watching TV. At some point after most of the smoke had cleared out Dodger came into the living room to join the cuddle pile. At another point Brianna was vaguely aware of going into the kitchen to bring back soda, Oreos, and Doritos before returning to Alex's arms, letting him rub her back and nuzzle her hair as they stuffed themselves with chips and cookies, and continued watching cartoons.

Although the high gradually wore off, Brianna was still so spaced out – and distracted by another fun time full of laughter with Alex – she never even heard the front door open.

***

Chris hummed happily as he walked through the hotel lobby and made his way up to the penthouse, holding a bouquet of red roses. Filming had wrapped early – midnight instead of sunrise – and on his way to the set earlier he had stopped at a flower shop to pick up a surprise for Brianna. He planned on sneaking back into the room as quietly as possible to not wake her, and sprinkle rose petals across the bed for her to wake up to in the morning – or at least wake up to as soon as he crawled in next to her, as she almost always did when he returned.

He slowly and carefully unlocked the door, creeping inside and shutting it behind him as quietly as possible. Chris made it only three steps into the suite before he noticed the lingering smell of weed, the light in the living room still on, and the sound of laughter and voices carrying across to the foyer – Brianna's voice, as well as Alex's.

Panic and rage flooded him as every rational thought in his mind immediately vanished. He could think of only one reason why the two of them would be doing drugs and spending time together in the privacy of a hotel suite. Chris dropped his backpack, tossed the flowers aside, and rushed into the living room.

His heart cracked at the sight before him: the two of them curled up together on the sofa, Alex's arm wrapped tightly around Brianna and her head against his chest. Dodger was laying comfortably beside her; he immediately bolted upright when he heard Chris' return, but his happy wagging tail quickly stopped. Fear filled his eyes and he pinned his ears flat against his head.

“What the fuck is going on here?” Chris spoke in infuriated and heartbroken disbelief. _At least they already put their clothes back on..._ He thought as his heart sank to his stomach.

Brianna quickly sat up and turned around in surprise; she wanted to smile at his sudden appearance, but couldn't when she heard the sorrow masked by anger in his voice – and saw it all over his face as well. “Oh, hey babe! You're back way early.” She forced an awkward smile.

“Hey man!” Alex said as he got up from the couch. “Good to see you aga...” His voice trailed off when he saw Chris' face flushed red with rage.

“I said what the _fuck_ is going on here?” The volume in Chris' voice rose significantly.

“We just smoked and watched some TV...that's all.” Brianna smiled at him again in an attempt to diffuse the situation she knew was about to go off like an atomic bomb.

“Yeah, right – while cuddling with each other?” He stormed over to Alex, his jaw clenched and the tendons in his neck strained.

“Okay, I know it's weird, but it's not what you think it is,” Alex said. “Look, I asked Brianna not to tell you, but I'm-”

“Who the fuck do you think you are?” Chris interrupted him. “You want to fucking take this outside, asshole?” He shoved him in the chest.

“Chris, please stop. It's really not what you think,” Brianna said, her voice rising with anxiety.

“Whoa, whoa. Dude, just relax,” Alex said calmly as he put up his hands; his rock solid stature barely even budged from Chris shoving him.

“Fuck you, don't tell me to fucking relax! You think I'm just gonna stand by and do nothing while you fuck my fiancee?!”

“No man, you don't understand. Believe me, I'm _not_ fucking her.”

“Bullshit! What the fuck was that on the couch? Why are you holding her?!” He stared up at him – his fists tightly clenched – completely fearless despite Alex's figure towering several inches above him. Chris raised his arm, aiming for Alex's face and ready to swing. Dodger started barking loudly in a panic; he jumped up and placed his front paws on Chris' torso, trying to shove himself between the two men and push them away from each other, to no avail.

Brianna jumped off the sofa, grabbed Chris' arm, and pulled on him as hard as she could. “Chris, stop it! _Stop!”_

He lowered his arm, turned around, and looked at her sadly, his eyes instantly filling with shame. She sighed. “Alex, go. Just go. I'm sorry about this.”

Alex backed away. “Yeah, I'm definitely gonna bail. You two obviously have a lot of shit to work out right now.” He looked at both of them remorsefully. “I'm really sorry for causing such a problem. I didn't mean to.”

“I know you didn't,” Brianna replied with a sad smile. He turned away and quickly left the penthouse.

An awkward, painful silence hung in the air – so painful that Dodger disappeared from the room. She and Chris sat next to each other on the sofa, neither of them knowing what to say. After several minutes he finally spoke, his voice barely above a whisper.

“If I'm not enough for you, I understand.” Chris choked back tears. “It's not the first time it's ever happened to me. I still love you, and it might take me a while to forgive you, but-”

“You _really_ think I fucked him, don't you? I hoped it was just jealousy that I was spending so much time with someone other than you, but you _honestly_ think I'm cheating on you?” Brianna stared at him incredulously, then shook her head and started laughing.

Chris' face reddened with anger and his eyes filled with more tears. “Why the fuck is this funny to you? Are you cheating on me or not?”

She wiped away tears of laughter. “Chris... _no,_ I'm not. Alex is gay.”

His brows furrowed in confusion and disbelief. “He...what? How is he gay?”

Brianna laughed again. “Uh, I think he was born that way.”

Chris sighed in aggravation. “I know _that_ , but I mean...he's just so...well, look at him! The dude looks like he walked off the cover of a fuckin' romance novel! He doesn't look or sound even remotely gay.”

She rolled her eyes. “Chris, not every gay man looks and acts like the Fab Five. Just because he's super butch doesn't mean he likes pussy, and just because I think he's handsome doesn't mean I want to fuck him. The only time I felt even slightly attracted to him was when we first bumped into each other. I mean, yeah he's tall and has an amazing beard, but I still think _you_ are way hotter than he is. You're gonna be my husband, babe – nobody will ever be able to change my commitment to you.”

Chris blushed in embarrassment. “So...you didn't have sex with him?”

Brianna held the sides of his face and smiled reassuringly. “No, I did not, and I never will. I would _never_ cheat on you, with _anyone_.” She kissed him, then nuzzled his nose.

He laughed quietly. “Not even with Brad Pitt?”

She giggled. “Well...maybe if I had a time machine and could go back to fuck Interview with the Vampire Brad Pitt.”

Chris chuckled. “Okay, but I've got dibs on Legends of the Fall Brad Pitt.” He sighed. “God, I feel like such a stupid fucking asshole – but why didn't you just tell me he's gay?”

“Well, I did...sorta. I told you he said I'm not his type.”

He rolled his eyes. “How the hell was I supposed to know that means he's gay?”

“Okay, look – Alex is still in the closet, so you can't tell _anyone_ else. I figured it out when we first met and just knew what he meant, but he told me himself a few days later. He said he doesn't usually tell people about it until he's known them for a while, but he thinks I'm trustworthy enough. Alex doesn't want to come out publicly yet because he said thirsty straight women help his career, and he thinks if they find out he's gay then their interest will die off, so...I didn't tell you because I was just trying to respect his choice.” Brianna paused. “Besides, I also assumed you would figure it out pretty quickly when I told you I'm not his type. I mean, didn't you pick up on that sort of thing from Scott?”

“No, I didn't.” Chris rolled his eyes and sighed. “Alright, so he's gay – but why were you still cuddling with him?”

Brianna smiled sadly. “I know it's weird for friends to cuddle, but I agreed to it because as hot as he is, he's very touch-starved. I told you before that he's been on his own for a long time – it's because his family disowned him. They're a bunch of extremely wealthy Orange County Republican assholes, so him being gay didn't sit well with them. He's worried about getting caught with another man, so he doesn't even have that many hookups. He said he just wanted to be reminded of how nice it felt to cuddle a person instead of a teddy bear all the time, so...I thought it was alright. I just felt sorry for him. But if that's too much for you and crossing a line, I'm okay with that. It's a fair point, and I understand. I won't do it again. I'll tell him he'll just have to borrow Dodger instead if he wants to hold something that's actually alive.”

As if on cue Dodger quietly padded back into the living room, holding the bouquet of flowers in his mouth. His fear had vanished, replaced by an air of confidence and a look of disapproval directed at Chris. He walked over to him and placed the flowers in his lap.

“Oh, thanks Bubba. I forgot about these.” Chris sighed and rubbed Dodger behind the ears. “I know, I know...you have every right to be disappointed in me. I'm sorry. I'm such a stupid asshole.”

Dodger whined and licked Chris' hand, the look in his eyes softening as if to say: “I forgive you. Now apologize to Mom.” He turned his head towards Brianna and gestured with his snout, pointing to her.

Chris smiled sadly and held the flowers out to her. “I'm so sorry, Bree. This is the shittiest apology gift ever and nowhere near enough to make it up to you, but...maybe it can be a start.”

“They're beautiful, babe.” She smiled and took the bundle of roses from him, then set them aside, held his face, and kissed him. “But I don't want you to buy me things to apologize, or to show how much you love me. I don't want expensive jewelry and clothes and fancy dinners – or free used cars. You know I'm still mad about you giving me the old Jeep, right?” She grinned as Chris chuckled.

“Well, how else are you supposed to get around after selling the ridiculous giant bathtub on wheels? I'm not gonna be your taxi all the time.” He grinned back at her.

Brianna laughed, then looked at him with a sad smile. “You've always shown me how much you love me by simply being here for me, accepting me just the way I am, smiling whenever you see me as if it's the first time every time, texting me good morning and random 'I love you' messages throughout the day when you're gone, holding me tightly every night when we go to sleep...plus, you know, all of the wonderful things you do in our sex life. You have _no idea_ how much I appreciate you not giving a fuck if I haven't shaved in a week, and refusing to stop until you've gotten me off more than once.”

She blushed slightly as they both giggled, then kissed him gently and held his face. “I want you to keep showing your love for me in those ways. I want that to be your apology when you fuck up – and I hope you would accept me continuing to do the same kind of things for you as an apology when _I_ fuck up, because I know I will too sometimes. Neither of us are perfect – but you're damn near close to it, and that's all I need. Everything extra that you do to spoil me is just the frosting on the cake. So just tell me you're sorry, then _show_ me.”

He smiled brightly, then suddenly his eyes filled with tears and he wrapped his arms around her, burying his face against the crook of her neck as he cried. Brianna stroked his hair and kissed the side of his head, sniffling as tears fell down her cheeks.

Any residual anger and frustration she had felt towards him the past couple of weeks vanished. She suddenly realized that his fear of losing her ran just as deep as her own fear of losing him; that it wasn't just jealousy from seeing one's counterpart touching the opposite sex – it was sheer terror of losing something more precious than any words could describe. It was exactly how she felt when she spent hours crying after she saw the photos from the strip club, wrongly assuming that Chris had been a willing participant who enjoyed betraying her trust. Her heart broke knowing that he was feeling every single thing she had felt.

“I'm so sorry, Bree. Please don't leave me,” Chris whispered.

She pulled away from him, grabbed his face, and looked into the bright blue pools of his eyes. “I won't. I promise.” A few more tears escaped her eyes as she was reminded again of the very same fear and insecurity she felt only a few months prior. “Please don't leave _me._ ”

“I would never.” He grasped the back of her head and kissed her deeply. “I'm so sorry. I'm such a fuck up. I'm better than this, I know I am,” he said when their lips parted.

“I know. I'm sorry too. You're not the only one who's a fuck up.” Brianna sniffled and smiled sadly. “We're just gonna have to be fuck ups together, I guess.”

Chris laughed quietly. “Well, there's no one else I'd rather be a fuck up with.”

She stroked the sides of his face as he kissed her forehead, then wrapped her in his arms again and squeezed her tightly.

“Please don't ever be afraid that I'll be unfaithful,” Brianna said. “I love you – _only_ you. Every part of me is yours, Chris.”

He kissed her tenderly. “And every part of me is yours, Bree.”

***

“I look way too much like a politician.” Brianna sighed as she adjusted the blazer of her tailored navy pantsuit.

Chris laughed. “Not at all, sweetie – and even if you do, that's a good thing. It makes you look like a badass.” He kissed her cheek.

“Okay, I'll believe you.” She smiled and tightened up the purple tie accessorizing his dark gray suit.

He sighed. “One more performance tonight, then we can finally go home. Ready?”

“Whenever you are.”

“Alright, let's head out. Where did Dodger go?”

Brianna whistled for him as they headed to the front door. He trotted over to them, holding a tuxedo bow tie collar in his mouth – wet with slobber and chewed to shreds.

“Aw, come on, dude. You looked cute wearing it!” Chris laughed.

“How the hell did he even get it off?” Brianna sighed as she took the collar from his mouth, set it on the entryway table, and wiped her hand on the side of her pants.

“I don't know, sweetie. He's probably gonna figure out how to unlock doors next.” He rubbed Dodger behind the ears. “I know you didn't really want to go, Bubba, so we won't force you. It's not a good idea for you to be there anyway. They're so stuck-up they'll probably get bitchy about a dog being inside, and everyone is just going to get wasted anyway. It won't be very fun.”

“No, it won't be. It was a dumb idea for us to wanna bring you.” Brianna kissed the top of Dodger's head. “You'll just stay here, Lovebug. We'll be back in a few hours.”

“Don't stay up too late watching TV.” Chris grinned at him as Dodger wagged his tail.

They headed out of the hotel and into the car of the private chauffeur driving them across the river to Brooklyn. Half an hour later they arrived at the upscale pub where the wrap party was being held – nearly an hour late, but Chris couldn't have cared less. He was beaten from a month of filming, as well as the emotional exhaustion of the past few weeks, but knew they needed to at least make an appearance.

Brianna mostly kept to herself as Chris made his rounds chatting to producers, writers, co-stars, and crew members. She tried to make small talk with anyone who approached her, but mostly sat alone as she waited for Alex to show up. Brianna had texted him earlier to ask if he'd come to the party – not only to save her from sitting awkwardly by herself the entire night, but also because Chris had asked her to invite him.

Chris made his way over to the booth she was sitting at and kissed the top of her head. “We'll leave soon, okay?” He whispered.

“Okay.” She smiled at him. As Chris left to rub elbows again, her phone buzzed from Alex's message notifying her he had arrived.

Brianna walked to the front of the pub where he was waiting, and gave him a tight hug. “Thank you for coming to my rescue. The people here are so fucking stuffy, it's getting hard to breathe.”

“No problem, hun.” He laughed quietly, then cleared his throat. “So...should he and I talk first?”

She sighed and nodded. “Yeah, Chris said he wanted to get it out of the way. Wait here.” One of the reasons he had asked Brianna to invite Alex was to apologize to him for the events that had occurred a couple of nights prior.

Brianna squeezed her way through the crowd until she found Chris smoking a cigarette and chatting with one of his producers. “Hey, sorry to interrupt. I need to borrow him for a second,” she said to the producer as she gently grasped Chris' hand.

He smiled anxiously, then took one last drag on his cigarette before putting it out and excusing himself.

“You better have some mints with you,” she said.

“Always. I know how much it grosses you out.”

“At least you only do it when you're drinking – which means you still smoke practically all the time.” Brianna grinned at him.

He chuckled. “Not _all_ the time.”

Alex had left the foyer of the pub and stood outside on the sidewalk, leaning against a street lamp. “He's not mad, babe...just hurt.” Brianna smiled sadly.

Chris sighed. “Alright. I'll be back, sweetie.”

He walked out the door and approached Alex. “Hey, man,” Chris said, awkwardly rubbing the stubble on his face; he was so desperate to have his beard back, he refused to shave the five o'clock shadow that had grown in.

“Hey,” he replied quietly.

“Uh...hey, look, I just want to apologize for being such an asshole to you the other night. It was completely unacceptable for me to lose my shit and act like that. I'm sorry.”

Alex smiled. “I appreciate that. It's all good, man. I understand. I mean, it really upset me that you were such a fucking dick, but...I get it. It's not the first time I've accidentally made a girl's boy toy jealous, but you've got nothing to worry about.” He looked at him anxiously. “Brianna said she told you about... _me_. You won't tell anyone else, right?”

“Not a word.”

“Okay, thank you. I was just worried because, well, I know your brother is so open and you're so used to that, I thought you might let it slip.” Alex sighed. “I must look completely fucking chickenshit to you. I always tell myself it's way more normal now, so why should I be afraid? Is anyone _really_ gonna give a fuck? But then I remember the last time I saw my parents, the huge fight we got into, my dad telling me to leave and not come back. I wish I was over it by now, but...closets are nice and cozy and safe, right?”

Chris' eyes welled up. “I understand. I'm so sorry about what you've been through, man. I really am. I can't even imagine how much that hurts.”

He shrugged sadly. “It is what it is. I've sorta pieced together my own family over the years with friends anyway – and I'm really hoping that you and Brianna can be the newest members.” Alex smiled nervously.

Chris smiled back at him. “Of course. I'd love that – but no cuddling, please. That's...sorry, but that's where I draw the line, bro. I can be really handsy too, I love hugs, I get it – but cuddling is something just for me and her.”

“I totally understand. I know, it was fuckin' weird. I'm sorry about that. I wish I could blame the weed, but I can't. I was just feeling so lonely and pathetic and wanted to hold someone. Brianna is gorgeous, but trust me when I say it was definitely _not_ anything romantic. There is nothing but friendship going on between us.” Alex paused, then laughed. “Seriously, vaginas gross me the fuck out. How can you stand actually putting your mouth on that thing? The one time I did that to a woman was just...ugh.” He gagged.

Chris laughed. “Different strokes, I guess. I mean, I don't understand how the hell you're turned on by having some dude's dick up your ass.”

Alex grinned. “Hey, don't knock it 'til you try it! You know that's where our G-spot is, right?”

He raised an eyebrow. “Actually, I didn't.”

“Dude, it's _amazing_. Maybe ask Brianna sometime if she wants to experiment.”

Chris chuckled, blushing slightly. “I'll keep an open mind.”

“So...are we cool now?”

“Yeah. Yeah, we're cool.”

Alex smiled and held out his hand, but Chris didn't take it – he hugged him instead, standing on his toes so he could wrap his arms around his neck. Alex laughed as he squeezed him in return. “Jesus, dude, Brianna wasn't kidding when she said you give one hell of a bear hug.”

Chris laughed. “I've gotta be more manly than you somehow, right?”

He gave Chris a friendly slap on the back as they broke their hug. “If you get any more masculine than you already are, your nuts are gonna fuckin' burst.”

They both laughed, then Alex smiled shyly. “Hey, uh...before we go back in, I have a question.” He looked around, then lowered his voice. “Is your brother single?”

Chris smiled. “Yeah, he is, but he lives in LA most of the time. I can give you his number though, if you guys want to just talk or maybe, I don't know, try a long distance thing. Scott is game for anything.”

“Yeah, I'm willing to try! I'm sorta getting comfortable with the idea of dating again, but I haven't been able to find a guy I'm even interested in enough to take the risk.” He sighed sadly, and Chris could see the loneliness and touch starvation in his eyes.

“Well...in the meantime, if you really need someone to just hug you and love on you a little bit, come on over to my mom's house whenever you want. She's an expert hugger, and you can trust her completely with your secret if you want to tell her.”

Alex smiled brightly. “That would be awesome. I'm down for some sweet old lady cuddles.”

“Just don't be surprised if she wants to parade you around town and act like you're her sugar baby. She's had this... _thing_ about getting back at my dad for years and always wants to piss him off. It's a long story.”

“Hey, I'm cool with being her baby, as long as she doesn't force me to sit through musicals. The show last week reminded me that I think they're actually really fucking lame.”

Chris laughed. “No wonder you and Bree were instantly best friends.”

They walked back inside and Alex headed to the bar, while Chris made his way over to where Brianna was still sitting at their booth and talking to the key grip – a young man who appeared to be flirting with her, judging by his body language and the awkward strained smile on her face. Instead of flying into a jealous rage, Chris smirked cockily and tapped him on the shoulder.

“This one's taken,” he said in a low authoritative voice.

“Sorry, boss,” the grip said meekly before scurrying off.

Brianna laughed as she rubbed her forehead. “He would not shut the fuck up. I don't know what he was trying to do, but whatever it was, it didn't work.” She smiled and kissed his cheek. “Thanks for saving me.”

“What do you think I am? Some kinda superhero or something?” Chris grinned.

Alex reappeared with three beers in one of his enormous hands, and three shots in the other. “You weren't kidding about this place being fucking stuffy. I asked if they have Tennessee Honey and the dude just looked at me like I was speaking Martian – so here's some highfalutin beers and whiskey with a name I can't pronounce instead.”

Chris laughed. “As long as it'll get us shitfaced.”

The trio spent the next few hours drinking, talking, and laughing together. Chris finally admitted to himself that Brianna had been right all along: he did actually like Alex. Despite his wildly different lifestyle, he suddenly found him fascinating instead of pompous, and he was eager to get to know him. By the end of the night, Brianna was smirking at Chris in a way that said to him without words: _I told you so._

When the bartender declared last call, Alex checked his wristwatch. “Shit, it's late. I have a meeting in the morning, so I should head out before I get too hungover to make it there on time.”

“And we have a long drive home tomorrow, so we can't be hungover either.” Brianna yawned and leaned against Chris' shoulder.

He kissed the top of her head. “Yeah, I told Scott when he drove Dodger down here to just leave the car and I paid for him to fly back, so Bree and I could take the scenic route home instead.”

“Taking a romantic springtime road trip through New England? Could you two be any more disgusting?” Alex grinned as they left the bar.

“Don't give us any ideas,” Brianna said with a laugh. She gave him a tight hug.

“I'll let you know when I'm back home, hun,” Alex said as he kissed the top of Brianna's head – and then Chris' as well. “Probably next month, but it depends on how long the company wants to keep me stranded in the fucking Yukon.”

“Just please don't get eaten by a grizzly bear,” Brianna said.

“Seriously, don't. Man up and buy a gun already,” Chris chimed in.

“Says the pussy who can't even kill a spider.” Alex slapped him on the back as they all laughed, hugged once more, and said their goodbye-for-nows before he hailed a cab and drove away.

“Ah, shit. I forgot to call the car service to come get us.” Chris sighed in annoyance. “I guess we'll have to risk it with one of this city's lunatic cab drivers.”

“Or we can just walk.”

He raised an eyebrow at her. “Sweetheart, it's like nine fucking miles away. Walking that far is even more dangerous than the way these crazy taxis drive, and it'll be nearly sunrise before we get back to the hotel.”

“Perfect. Just in time for Dodger's breakfast and morning shit.” She grinned. “Please? I thought of one more thing I want to do before we leave.”

“What is it?”

“I want to see the city lights from across the river. The skyline looks so beautiful at night, and I want to see it with you.” Brianna grabbed his tie and pulled him along as she walked down the sidewalk.

“Why do I put up with you?” Chris laughed as he smacked her ass, then wrapped his arm around her waist.

“Because.” She grinned at him. “We'll get a cab to drive us back after this, alright? I won't make you walk the entire way, old man.”

“Thank you, sweetie. I need to save my energy for fucking the shit out of you later.” He smirked as she giggled.

After nearly an hour of walking they found a vacant viewing area along the river, not another soul in sight. Brianna leaned over the railing and looked down at the murky water below.

“Don't fall,” Chris said as he stood behind her, held her tightly, and kissed the back of her neck.

She giggled, then pulled her phone out of her blazer's pocket and snapped a few photos of the skyline, as well as a selfie of her and Chris in front of the sea of glittering lights.

“Alright, stop being such a millennial and put that thing away now,” he said as he nipped her ear.

“Why? Maybe I want to take a thousand pictures and post them all over social media and blab about our relationship.” Brianna grinned at him.

“For you, I wouldn't mind that.” Chris smirked, then kissed her tenderly.

She leaned against him as he hugged her from behind, occasionally kissing the crook of her neck. They admired the city's gleaming skyline for so long, it felt as if time stood still.

Brianna sighed in contentment. “Okay, I think I've taken it all in now. We should get going before Dodger starts thinking he's been abandoned.”

Chris chuckled, then sighed. “Bree, there's something I want to tell you first,” he said softly.

She turned around to look at him. “Then tell me.”

“I was gonna wait to say anything about it so I wouldn't kill the mood tonight, but I guess now is as good a time as any.” He blushed and looked down. “I'm going to start seeing a therapist again. I already called earlier today and made an appointment for next week.”

Brianna smiled at him. “Why do you look so nervous telling me that? There's nothing wrong with going to therapy if you think you need some help, babe.”

“I know, but...I don't know.” He sighed. “Remember when you told me back in February that you were more scared than you'd ever been about losing me, but you didn't know why exactly?”

“Yeah.” She looked down and fiddled with her hands, embarrassment about her own jealousy and insecurity washing over her again.

“Well, I've been feeling the exact same way lately.” Chris took her hands in his and squeezed them slightly.

She squeezed his in return. “Sometimes I still feel like that. Just...scared for no real reason of losing you. I know deep down that I won't, and I just have to trust you'd never leave me – have trust in _us_ – but there's still some days where I worry about it and my anxiety carries me away.”

Chris nodded. “I just...I don't know why I feel so fucking anxious and insecure with myself lately. I guess part of it is the trust issues I still have from being cheated on before, and the abandonment issues from all that shit with my dad leaving my mom. I've never really addressed those before, just sorta...I don't know, pretended I got over all of it.”

He paused and thought for a moment. “And I think another part of it might be not knowing what to do with myself again after this film. I'm worried it's gonna suck, turn out to be another fucking bomb and I'll never be a real director, and...I'm worried you won't be proud of me. I think, if I had to pinpoint the main reason why I feel this way lately, that would be it: I'm scared of letting you down again somehow.”

His eyes welled up and he sniffled. “Sometimes I feel like I'm not good enough for you. It's not because of anything you've said or done, it's not your fault I feel this way – it's mine. I'm just as fucking insecure again as I was ten years ago. I'm not good at anything but acting, and I'm not even _that_ good at it. I feel like a fucking useless, untalented dumbass. I mean, you're so damn smart and deep and witty, I'm scared you'll get bored and tired of me because I can't keep up. I've got nothing to offer you except money and a functioning dick, I just-”

She grabbed his face and cut off his words with a kiss. “Stop it. Stop it right now. You're not stupid, you're not untalented, and you _are_ good enough for me. Do you really think I would have given up on my plans of becoming a spinster for someone who wasn't _everything_ I've ever wanted?” She grinned at him.

He chuckled. “I guess.”

Brianna kissed him again. “I love you, Chris. Remember when you told me that you would never think any differently of me for my problems, that you'd help me unpack all of my baggage? The same has always gone for you, babe. I'm _always_ going to be here to help you unpack. And your movie won't suck, but even if it does, who the fuck cares? You still made it. You set a goal and accomplished it, and I'm so proud of you for that. I'm proud of you for wanting to go back to therapy too.” She sighed. “Truthfully, I should probably go see a therapist again myself. I feel like I never know when my anxiety is going to strike, and it just...it sucks.”

Chris kissed her gently. “Then maybe we should both check into the nuthouse again.”

Brianna laughed. “It's just going to therapy, not an asylum.”

He chuckled, then kissed the back of her left hand and looked at her seriously. “I understand now why you said you don't want to get married right away. I thought I did before, but...now I _really_ understand. I still have some work to do on myself first.”

Brianna gave him a small smile and kissed his cheek. “So do I.”

His eyes welled up again. “I'm so sorry, Bree. I'm sorry for everything. I've been so fucking stupid this year – taking you for granted, breaking your trust, being a fucking paranoid asshole, not trusting you or the friend you absolutely deserve to have. Even if Alex was straight, that shouldn't matter. I still should have trusted you completely instead of being such a jealous, insecure fucking jerk.” A few tears escaped his eyes. “I promise you I'm going to work on myself and be the best man I possibly can...the best _husband_ for you. I'm going to do this right, because I'm only doing this with you. I can't lose you.”

She held the sides of his face and gently kissed away his tears. “You won't. We've both promised that to each other several times, and I don't think either of us will ever break that promise.” Brianna nuzzled his nose. “Whenever I get anxious about the thought of losing you, I've started looking at my ring to remind myself of your promise to me – it helps me feel better. Maybe it would help you to get something that reminds yourself of _my_ promise to you.”

Chris thought for a moment, then smiled. “I've got an idea.”

***

“Are you sure this placement is a good idea, babe?” Brianna asked as she winced and looked away, suddenly feeling nauseous. As much as she admired others' tattoos since she had none of her own, she wasn't expecting the sight of someone getting inked to be so repulsive to her.

Chris grimaced as the hot needle injected another line of black ink into the delicate skin on the inside of his forearm, below the crook of his left elbow and just above the scar there. “Yep,” he said meekly, trying to act as if it didn't hurt. “It'll be easy enough to hide.” He had insisted on stopping at a reputable tattoo shop that afternoon, so he could impulsively get a quick piece done before they left the city.

Brianna grinned. “At least you're getting an arm tattoo that isn't completely stupid.”

“Shut up. I was twenty and drunk and thought it looked badass.”

She leaned over the back of the chair and kissed the top of his head. “I'm just giving you a hard time. It didn't look that bad – but I _am_ glad you got it removed.”

He smiled through the pain on his arm. “Well, I told you I had a weird dream that I was going to eventually meet a girl with green eyes who would hate that tattoo, so...that might have also had something to do with my decision.” Chris blushed.

Brianna giggled. “Are you sure it was me? I only have one green eye.”

He looked up at her and smiled. “You have _some_ green in your left eye, so yes. I'm sure it was you.”

“Alright, done,” the artist said as he pulled away the tattoo gun and wiped clean the red swollen patch of skin. Chris smiled as he looked at the fresh ink. He asked Brianna to write her own personal reminder to him, then had the lines of her handwriting transferred into his flesh: _Remember what Dodger told you._

“So would you ever get a tattoo for me?” He grinned.

“Maybe. I've thought about it, but after seeing how much this fucking hurts, maybe not.”

“It's worth it,” he said as he stood up and kissed her.

She smiled at him. “I'll keep thinking about it.”

“You don't have to get one if you don't want to, sweetie.” Chris held her face and kissed her tenderly. “I don't need to see anything on your perfect skin to know you're mine,” he whispered in her ear as he nuzzled the side of her head.

“If you two lovebirds are done puking rainbows all over my studio, I'll take your money now,” the tattoo artist said with annoyance in his thick Jersey accent. “I fucking hate celebrities,” he muttered as Chris handed him a stack of cash.

“You're not the only one,” Chris said with a laugh.

***

“Oh my God, I missed this _so much._ ” Chris sighed in relief as he collapsed onto the family room sofa. He grabbed one of the throw pillows and held it tightly against him. “Just leave all the shit out there, sweetie. I'll get it in a sec, I just...need a minute.” He groaned, turned over onto his stomach, and buried his face in the pillow.

Dodger pulled a similar maneuver when he crawled into one of his many beds in the house, immediately face-planted into the cushion, and fell asleep. Their long drive home had been made even longer by numerous stops in wooded areas along the way, so Dodger could antagonize and chase after whatever small animals he could find. Chris thought it was only fair to make up for his underwhelming visit to New York City – which ended with Dodger pouting when he was made to wait in the car while they were at the tattoo shop.

They were so drained when they walked through the front door that night, Chris and Brianna barely managed to kick off their shoes, and left all of their luggage behind in the mud room. She laughed as she walked over to the sofa and crawled on top of Chris. Although she was tired as well, she had more energy than he did and drove the entire way home in the Jeep.

“You love this couch more than me.” Brianna kissed the back of his neck.

“Almost.” Chris slowly turned over so she could straddle him, then instinctively ran his hands underneath her tee shirt, grasped her bra-less breasts, and smiled boyishly. “Heh...boobs.”

She laughed. “You never grew up. You just got bigger.”

“That's true.” He yawned. “I want to fuck.”

“Very romantic foreplay, babe. I thought you were exhausted.”

“I'm never too tired for sex. Are you?”

“Nope.” She kissed him and nibbled on his lower lip, then ran her hands through his short fluffy hair. “Are you gonna grow it out again now that the movie is done?”

Chris smiled. “If you want me to... _if_ it will even grow back.” He sighed, then chuckled. “I was doing just fine not caring about the fact I'm losing my hair, until Alex had to come along and ruin my self-esteem with his perfect hairline.”

“Stop. Your hairline is perfect too. I love it just the way it is.” Brianna kissed him gently, then smiled. “I'm not marrying you for your hair, you know.”

“I know – just my money.” He grinned as she laughed and playfully smacked his cheek. “If you say my hair is perfect, then I'll believe you.”

“Good. You better.” She kissed him again, then pressed her groin into his and smirked when their lips parted.

Chris smirked back at her. “So...is that your cue for wanting to make it thin even faster?”

“Yes,” Brianna purred as she nipped his lower lip. “I'll try not to pull too hard.”

“Pull as hard as you want, sweetheart. I would be honored to lose the rest of my hair that way.” He growled as he sat up, grabbed her hips, and lifted her as he stood up from the sofa. She wrapped her legs around his waist, yanked off her tee shirt, and dropped it on the floor. Chris stumbled and bumped into the walls of the hallway as he carried her to the bedroom; he was preoccupied with groping her ass and ravishing her breasts rather than watching where he was going.

“Shit, sorry. Are you okay? I didn't hit you on anything, did I?” He set her down gently on the bed and pulled off her leggings and panties.

“No, you didn't. Just shut up and fuck me.” Brianna grabbed the collar of his tee shirt and yanked it over his head as he fumbled to take off his jeans.

He laid on his back, pulled her onto him, and smirked. “No, _you_ fuck _me_.”

“Oh, I see how it is. You want to fuck, but you're so tired you're gonna make me do all the work while you just lay there like a lazy douchebag.” She grinned at him.

Chris laughed, grabbed her ass, and squeezed it firmly. “Or maybe I just want you to alpha me.”

“I can do that.” Brianna smirked, placed her hands on his chest, and pushed down, pinning him against the bed as she eased herself onto his cock. He groaned at the electrifying sensation of being completely buried inside of her yet again; every time felt like the first time for him.

Her rough, dominant riding on him lasted only minutes before Chris changed his mind; he was often mercurial even in the bedroom. “Stop,” he whispered.

She halted. “Everything okay?”

He smirked at her. “Yes. It's just my turn to be alpha now.” Chris growled as he grabbed her waist, pulled her off him, and flipped her onto her front in one fluid motion. He gripped her ass hard as she got on her hands and knees, already knowing exactly what he wanted.

“Do whatever you want to me,” Brianna whimpered and smiled coyly. As stubbornly independent as she was, she could never deny that when they were in bed, nearly every shred of feminism in her vanished. Although she enjoyed being equally in charge of him, Brianna ultimately loved nothing more than to be dominated and owned by her man – and the feeling was mutual. Chris' enjoyment of being subordinate to her always eventually morphed back into a primal instinct to keep her literally under him – not just in a display of ownership, but also protection. He felt as if nothing would ever be able to harm her as long as she was locked in his hold.

“Oh, I will. You're _mine_.” Chris grasped a chunk of hair on the back of her head, and with his other hand stroked her clit as he slammed his cock into her so hard and fast she yelped. He knew she would tell him when to stop if he hurt her; otherwise, they had a silent agreement that he could be as rough with her as he wanted to be, whenever he felt like it. It never failed to surprise Chris just how much she could always take. Her petite body was able to withstand a good deal of spanking, choking, pounding, and stretching into exotic positions if he was in the mood for something unconventional or kinky.

“God damn it, Bree, you are _such_ a fucking insatiable slut,” Chris said breathlessly, laughing quietly as he softened his grip on her ass and slowed down. Even after nearly half an hour of beating into her – and making her climax multiple times from a combination of his dexterous hands toying with her clit, and his cock repeatedly hitting her sweet spot – she still hadn't told him to stop. He didn't want to admit it, but his exhaustion finally caught up to him and he had grown too tired to keep going at that pace.

“Yes, I am,” Brianna moaned as she brought herself down from another orgasm, then turned her head to the side and grinned. “But I think I'm done now.”

“Are you sure? I can keep going,” he said as he wiped the sweat off his flushed face with the back of his hand. “I might be tired, but you know I'm gonna stay hard until you want me to cum, sweetie.”

She giggled. “Yes, I'm sure – and I want _you_ to cum now. How do you want me to finish you off tonight, babe?”

Chris smirked, then stopped, pulled out of her, and got up from the bed. “Get over here,” he growled as he grabbed a pillow and dropped it in front of him.

Brianna smirked back at him and crawled out of bed.

“Get on your knees,” he commanded, pointing to the pillow on the floor.

She knelt on it before him and slowly ran her hands up his thighs.

“You know what to do,” he said lowly, looking down at her so imposingly and dominating that it made her loins ache, longing for him to fill her again – even if it was just filling her mouth.

Brianna took his cock in her hand, slowly stroked him, and licked his precum dripping off the tip. He moaned, then grabbed a chunk of hair on the back of her head and pulled her away.

“ _No_. Stop that. Don't fucking tease me. You know what I _really_ want.”

She smirked. “I want to hear you say it.”

Chris smirked back at her. “I want to fuck your mouth and feel my cock in your throat. I want to watch you lick up every drop of my cum, you little fucking slut.”

“I want that too,” she purred, then opened her mouth for him.

“Hold still,” Chris said quietly as he held the back of her head, slowly pushed his hips forward, and slid himself all the way into her mouth. He let out a small hiss and moaned as she relaxed her jaw and throat to take in all of him.

“Is that alright, sweetheart?”

Brianna nodded. He pulled back slightly, then pushed into her mouth again. She stayed still, gripping his thighs and keeping her mouth slick, hot, and fully open for him.

“ _Fuck_...” Chris whispered as he continued thrusting into her mouth and the back of her throat. He stroked her hair and looked down. “Are you okay?”

She nodded, and his pace picked up, going in and out of her mouth faster. He gripped her hair tightly, and her hands traveled up to his ass, squeezing it firmly with both hands; with each motion of his hips, she pulled him a little bit harder into her mouth.

Chris suddenly stopped, then pulled out.

Brianna looked up at him. “What's wrong?”

He smirked. “Nothing at all. I was just wondering if you want to try something new.”

“What is it?”

Chris suddenly grew bashful and blushed bright red. “If you're okay with it, I want to keep doing this, but...try using your fingers a little bit. You know, like... _inside_ of me.” He smiled shyly.

Brianna giggled. “Okay, I know what you mean. We can do that.” Her cheeks turned pink as she became bashful herself. “If I'm being completely honest, I've wanted to try that for a while, but I assumed it was always gonna be a no-go for you.”

He blushed even redder. “Well, I thought it was too, but I changed my mind. I want to find out what it's like.”

She moved her right hand down and slid two fingers inside herself, moaning as she let her own slick fluid lube up her digits.

“Just relax,” Brianna said quietly as she moved her hand all the way back behind his balls, and gently caressed them with her other hand.

“Okay.” Chris breathed in deeply.

Brianna took his cock back into her mouth first, teasing him on for several moments, then slowly eased her slick fingers inside of him.

He gasped and his entire body tensed up. “Holy fucking...God damn, _fuck!”_ Chris moaned loudly and gripped her hair tightly. His balls went up high and tight, threatening to cum immediately.

She removed her mouth from the end of his cock. “Is that okay?”

“Yes, it is,” he whispered. “I mean, it kinda burns, but...in a good way. It feels amazing.” He looked down at her and smirked. “Is this what it feels like for you? When I'm inside of you?”

Brianna smirked back at him. “Yes.”

“Jesus, no wonder you're always so fucking loud.” He groaned as she slowly moved her fingers down, then back up again with a soft stroke.

She was even gentler with him than he had been with her the first time they made love, stopping periodically to ask if he was alright, to which Chris kept replying with an emphatic “Yes, don't stop.” He felt as if he was losing his virginity all over again – just like Brianna had felt she lost her own for a second time with him – and he couldn't have been happier that he was experiencing it with her. Much like when he had first lost his virginity, he didn't last long; within minutes the sensory overload of such a new and overwhelming sensation had pushed him to the edge.

Chris whimpered and gripped her hair tighter. “I'm gonna cum, Bree. You want to drink up all of me, you dirty fucking slut?”

“Mmhmm,” Brianna vocalized as much as she could with his cock still sliding in and out of her throat. She suddenly pushed her fingers even deeper inside of him, and without any further warning from his body, he instantly erupted.

“ _Fuck!”_ Chris moaned loudly, instinctively snapping his hips forward with so much force, she gagged on him for the first time. His face and hands went numb, and he saw stars as he filled the inside of her mouth. Chris struggled to keep standing while she swallowed all of his warm bitter cum flowing into the back of her throat, then slowly removed her fingers from him, pulled him out of her mouth, and licked the last few drops off the tip of his cock.

“Holy shit, Bree...” He whispered in between labored breaths. Chris looked down at her with a bright smile. She grinned at him as she wiped away the excess spit from her mouth with the back of her hand. “Thank you, sweetie. That...was fucking _incredible_.” He gave her his hand and helped her stand up, then backed up onto the bed before he collapsed. She laid beside him, and he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her deeply.

Brianna grinned and slowly rubbed his chest as he continued breathing in and out, gradually bringing him down from the heavy blast of endorphins that had flooded his body. “So...I take it you enjoyed that?”

Chris chuckled. “Yes, I did. I enjoyed it _a lot_.” He looked at her, smiling shyly and blushing. “Can we do that again sometime?”

“It would be my pleasure,” she said, then kissed him tenderly.

They both sighed in contentment. Brianna nuzzled his soft chest hair as he gently stroked his fingers up and down her back. “You know what I just remembered?” Chris said.

“What?”

“Our first anniversary is next week.”

“Oh shit, it is. I forgot too.”

“Well, it's been a fucking crazy May. We've had so much going on this month, I think we both get a pass on forgetting about it until now.” He looked at her and grinned. “But it _might_ take me a while to forgive you. How dare you not make me the center of your entire universe and forget something so important.”

“Oh, shut up.” Brianna giggled. “So what should we do to celebrate?”

“You pick, sweetie.”

She thought for a moment, then smiled. “Honestly, I just want to stay home with you and Dodger. I know it's boring, but...this house is where we first met, and Dodger is _why_ we met. I just want to spend that special day here with you two.”

Chris nodded and smiled brightly at her. “That sounds absolutely perfect to me.” He kissed the top of her head. “Nice and boring, just the way I like it. We can save the wild partying for our birthdays.”

Brianna sighed. “God, where the fuck is time going? I forgot those are coming up fast too – the week after our anniversary. What do you want to do for that? And don't you dare tell me to pick.”

He grinned. “Too late. I've already decided I want to do whatever _you_ want to do.”

She laughed. “Okay, fine. I want to go on vacation again. I know we already went on one for Valentine's Day, but I think we both deserve to take another trip somewhere – but _you_ have to pick where we're going. I'm game for anything.”

He thought for a moment. “How about we go to Las Vegas?”

“Vegas? Seriously?” Brianna sat up and grinned at him. “Okay, who the fuck are you and what have you done with Chris? It's not like you at all to suggest a vacation anywhere other than Disney World.”

Chris chuckled. “I was just trying to think of something a little more unique. It's been a while since the last time I was there, and it'll be a birthday trip for us – there's no better place than Vegas to celebrate another year closer to the grave.”

“That's true. Plus I've never been there before...it should be a lot of fun.” She grinned. “Alright, let's go to Vegas. But you do know this means we have to take a _really_ long camping trip to make it up to Dodger when we get back, right? He's gonna be so pissed off about us leaving him again so soon.”

He laughed. “Yeah, he will be. It's okay, his majesty will forgive us eventually. It doesn't take much when there's squirrel chasing and strawberry ice cream to be had.” Chris yawned and pulled her back into his arms. “I'll make some calls tomorrow. It shouldn't be an issue getting a private jet and the penthouse at Caesar's booked for us at the last minute.”

Brianna nuzzled the baby soft fuzz on his chest and traced over the wings of her favorite eagle on his pectoral muscle, as she often did; she already knew she would start doing the same to his tattoo for her once it was healed.

“We still need to get the luggage out of the mud room,” she said with a yawn.

“I'll go get it, sweetie. But first...there's something more important we need to remedy right now.”

“What is it?”

Chris sat up, leaned over to the nightstand, and opened the drawer. When he turned back to Brianna, he was holding her ring and grinning. “I know where you like to hide it. Your finger has been naked for weeks now, and I'd like to see you wear it again.”

“I'd like to wear it too, now that our little secret is safe again.” She smiled and held her left hand out to him. He slid the ring onto her finger and held her hand, kissing the back of it first, then her palm, her wrist, and all the way up her forearm.

Chris smiled as he slowly ran his thumb over her ring, then laced his fingers through hers. “That's better. Everything's back to the way it should be.”

Brianna kissed him tenderly, then stroked his scruffy face as she beamed at him. “Yes, it is. Life is back to normal...we're home now.”


End file.
